116 SALMON-FISHERY OP SCOTLAND. 



ceived to be the object whicli induces the cuckoo to visit this 

 covintry 1 The one question would be just as sensible as the 

 other. The witness, however, never at a loss for a reason, 

 answers, 



" One evident object is to get clear of the vermin called the sea- 

 louse — and they come in search of food also. I consider a salmon to 

 be in search of food wherever he goes." 



If salmon come to rivers in search of food, they come to 

 parts where there is very little food for them. Here we find 

 the true haddock hypothesis — ^the fish swimming about in 

 search of food — ^for as to the system of migration, the witness 

 never dreamt of such a thing, and as to the sea-lice, we have 

 said enough already. The fresh water kills these Hce, because 

 any truly sea animal cannot exist in fresh water. We wonder 

 Mr Halliday did not ask himself why all the salmon in the sea 

 that are infected with these lice do not take the rivers at once ? 

 And how it happens that the salmon of late rivers have never 

 those lice, like the salmon of the early rivers, in winter and 

 spring, so as to " induce " them to enter the rivers then ? Do the 

 lice fix themselves regularly to the salmon of the early rivers 

 in the early months, and to those of the late rivers in the late 

 months ? In short, as all the salmon got in stake-nets have 

 lice upon them as well as the others, why do these salmon not 

 also betake themselves to the fresh water as well as the rest ? 

 But it is useless to waste time in exposing such manifest 

 absurdities. 



It is amusing to see how minutely Mr Kennedy, whom Mr 

 Sheppard accuses of asking him no questions that bore on the 

 interest of river proprietors, brings out everything he con- 

 ceives calculated to strengthen the stake-net system. He asks 

 the above witnesses, 



"Do the stake-net fishermen become expert sailors?" — "They do 

 — a great many of them have gone iato the sea service. There are 

 several of them in the ferries. They become very much qualified to 

 manage boats and small vessels along the coasts, and many of them 

 arrive to be captains of smaclcs and coasters, and some of them have 

 gone on board the navy.'' 



" Have they any other employment during close-time connected 



