GRILSE-KILLING. 



147 



speedily not be even a three-year-old fish to puU out of the 

 water. It is very suggestive of the state of the salmon-fisheries 

 that we have now eaten down to our three-year-olds." Happily 

 recent wise legislation on behalf of the fisheries has checked a 

 great number of the evils which prevailed eight or ten years 



STAKE-NETS ON THE RIVER SOLWAY. 



ago ; the salmon is again increasing in weight, and the fisheries 

 have once more become comparatively' prosperous. 



A fertile source of salmon destruction is the killing of grilse ; 

 the grilse being a virgin fish, its slaughter is just analogous to 

 the killing of lambs, without due regulation as to quantity. In 

 this respect, " the conduct of salmon proprietors is as rational- 

 as high-farming with the help of tile-drains, liquid manure, 

 and steam-power, would be for the purpose of eating com in 

 thei blade." As many as 100,000 grilses have been taken from' 

 one river in a year — a notable example of killing the goose for 

 the golden egg. If we had an Act of Parliament to prevent 

 the capture of grilse, we should never want salmon. The parr 



