80 Appendices to Twenty -sixth Animal Report 



people in Ross-shire who, greatly as I think to their credit, are desirous 

 of avoiding unnecessary labour on the first day of the week. In the 

 first place, I would point out that by leaving the nets set for fishing all 

 Sunday, the people who fail to remove the leaders are truly guilty of 

 engaging in the industry of fishing the whole of the Sabbath day. In 

 the next place, it may well be considered a work of necessity or mercy 

 to lift the leaders of the nets on the Sabbath day. The phrase " work 

 of necessity or mercy," though embodied in a statute, is taken from the 

 Confession of Faith and the Shorter Catechism, and these excellent 

 documents profess to be founded on and only binding so far as founded 

 on Scripture. Now in Scripture 1 find direct authority to the effect 

 that if a sheep fall into a pit on the Sabbath day, it is lawful to lay 

 hold on it and lift it out (see Matt. xii. 11). I hold it is an analogous 

 act to take up the leaders of salmon nets on the Sabbath day, and let 

 out the unfortunate salmon which have been entrapped by an illegal 

 net, and mercifully restore them to their native freedom. — 10th 

 March 1908. 



