and among the rest, Avhether any persons wliatsoever do 
take in this haven or river, within the aforesaid liberties of 
this town, either witli 7iet or any other engine, any young 
salmons, from the middle of April to St. John Baptist, 
under the i)enalty of the statute in that case made and 
provided.” 
“ Item. To enquire whether any weares be erected witliin the 
liberties afore.said, &c. 
“ Item. To enquire whctlier any do hang across the said haven 
any nets or engines called truncks, or any other sort of nets 
or engines fa.stened or hanged continually day and night ; 
whoever .shall offend herein shall incur the penalty of the 
statute made the 2nd of Henry Gth. 
“ Item. To enquire whether any persons, with any nets, 
devices, or engines, do take and kill any young brood, 
spawn, or fry of fish, &c. 
“ Item. To eiKpiire whether any person that fishes in the said 
haven for fish, make use of any manner of nets, trammel, 
keeps, heule, crele, or by any other engine, device, way or 
meaiis whatsoever, but only with net or trammel, whereof 
every meshe or mask shall be two inches and a half broad. 
Provided, nevertheless, that for the taking and killing of 
smelts, lochies, minims, bull-heads, gudgeons, and eels, it 
shall be lawful to use such nets, &c., but not to take and 
kill spawn or fry of fish, under the penalty of the statute.” 
Mackerell's History of Lynn, pjx 263-4. 
The authorities of Lynn are at the present time taking this 
subject under their serious consideration, with a view to obtaining 
an act for the better regulation of the fishery. 
The primary objects of such an act should be the abolition of 
river fishery during the spawning period, and a proper supervision 
of the nets in use. For the smelt fishery it would be necessary to 
])rovide stringent enactments, which would protect the spawning 
grounds in the upper rivere where the greatest damage is inflicted ; 
next, to protect the young fry which are taken in the “stow” nets 
W'hen on their way to the sea. It would be useless to regulate 
the size of the meshes in these nets, as the force of the stream 
draws them so closely together that nothing can pass through. 
