SALMON-FISHERY OF SCOTLAND. 51 



many salmon from being destroyed by grampuses and seals. 

 We believe they have the contrary effect. That salmon become 

 the food of many fishes of prey, during their migratory abode in 

 the ocean, is very probable ; but, after they come upon our 

 coasts, they keep so near the shore that they are generally out 

 of the way, at least of the grampuses, except when the shoals 

 are dispersed by stake-nets, and the fish forced out into deep 

 water, where of course they may be picked up by them. Seals 

 again watch the stake-nets. The seal is an acute and daring 

 animal — a compound of the tiger and of the fox, and knows 

 well where to find his way. A salmon wiU often escape from 

 a seal, in a fair chase, but when hemmed in by a stake-net, he 

 has no chance of escape. Mr Johnstone, the stake-net fisher, 

 states in the Committee, — for these men have often stated in 

 favour of their engines circumstances which, in fact, have an 

 effect directly the reverse, — 



" I have seen seven or eight seals, ranged in a line, before a stake- 

 net ; and when they discovered a salmon they were immediately in 

 pursuit. They break the nets, kill a number, and let away aU the 

 rest." 



And his brother fisher, Halliday, says, — 



" I have seen the seals frequently come and break into the nets, 

 taking what fish they could, and set aU the rest away. I have seen 

 one seal, which frequented a staJm-net at Budden, take either ten or 

 twelve sahnon and grilses in the course of two tides ; and I have 

 known one seal take six or eight fish in the course of two hours and 

 a half. Indeed, I have often been heard to say, that I thought they 

 would take the fishing from us altogether." 



Poor gentleman ! The seals appeared to have used him just 

 as he used the owners of the rivers, though they seem to have 

 been the honester depredators of the two. The worthies divided 

 the fish, and left it to the owners of the rivers to hatch more 

 for them to catch. Seals, however, will have their food, coute 

 qui coute. That stake-nets aid them greatly in doing so is 

 obvious : the best way, then, is to kiU themselves. Such is the 

 way game is preserved ifrom vermin. 



Some suppose that the fish taken in stake-nets is of a better 

 quality than what is caught at the rivers. They might be 

 better than what used to be formerly taken in the higher parts 



