S52 On the Natural History of the Salmon^ 
table the consumpt of the neighbourhood, or what is sent to a distance by carriers 
and coaches, is not noticed. Hence the table is^ useless as an index of the actual 
productiveness of the Tweed, though it may serve to illustrate the character of the 
exports of Berwick. Mr Bell says, that in all parts of the Tay, the fisheries have 
decreased, but no statement is prtMluced, p. 20. J. Proudfoot says, “ In 1815, 
1816, 1817, and 1818, it was a tolerable fishery, and the year 1819 was rather 
inferior with me; perhaps it might not be less with some; and since 1820, we have 
had regular bad years successively.” But in reference to the influence of the sea- 
sons in producing these changes, he says, “ for the last two years they have not 
been so good,” p. 26. In reference to the fishery in 1824, of May, compared 
with the corresponding period in 1823,' he says, “ 1 believe that this season there 
is more fish caught in the Tay, as yet, than last season,” p. 33. There is a state- 
ment given by Mr Little, of the relative produce of his Irish fisheries, from the 
year 1808 to 1823 : we shall give a few examples of intervals of ten years. The 
produce in tons of fish was at the Bann in 1808 and 1818, as 76 to 70 ; in 1809 
to 1819, as 80 to 82 ; in 1812 to 1822, as 65 to 31 ; in 1813 to 1823, as 47 to 52. 
In the Bush fishery, 1808 is to 1818, as 16 to 12 ; 1809 to 1819, as 9 to 12 ; in 
1812 to 1822, as 8 to 8 ; and in 1813 to 1823, as 7 to 14; in the Foyle, 1808 is 
to 1818 as 37 to 44; 1809 to 1819 as 36 to 58; 1812 to 1822, as 48 to 57 ; 1813 
to 1823, as 35 to 50. — Evidence^ p. 106. The statements, then, which have been 
adduced, as exhibiting the increasing scarcity of salmon, may be regarded as entire 
failures, nor shall we find, that the catises assigned constitute any better proo£ 
These may be reduced to the following, 
1. Poaching The quantity of fish caught by poachers, cannot be ascer- 
tained in a satisfactory manner ; but the following facts throw considerable 
light on the subject. Mr Wilson declares, that ‘‘ the number of fish taken in 
close time is immense.” “ I suppose many thousands have been taken out of 
the Tweed this last winter. — The last winter the bailiffs took upwards of 
eighty nets out of the river in close-time. It has increased very much within 
the last three years.” “ The winters have been very mild, and they can per- 
form those operations much easier in mild weather than when there is frost 
and snow on the ground, and there are more men out of employment p. 11. 
James Gillies declares, “ In the year 1820, I saw 250 salmon lying in one cel- 
lar in Perth, in the month of September ;” p. 135. “ I have seen upwards of 
a hundred killed in one night p. 136. In reference to the Tweed, he says, 
“ My brother killed in one night 400 of sahnon and grilses and upwards, at 
one hawling-place ;” p. 139. And he adds in reference to the facility of sale, 
“ I never found any difficulty for any that I got ; I always found a very ready 
market for them;” p. 135. And as to the buyers he says, “ They had gene- 
rally people that took them and kippered them, using salt-petre to make them 
red, and sent them from Perth to Edinburgh and Glasgow ;” p. 136. The 
evidence indeed in this Report, indicates these poaching operations to be car- 
ried on both night and day, occasionally under the very windows of the houses 
of our nobility, the Castles of Duplin and Kinfauns, and the Palace of Scoon. 
Whore this poaching has been prevented, as it seems to have been done in the 
Moyat Ballina, Mr Little declares, “ I consider that they had no protection for 
some years previous to 1816 ; by that protection it has risen from six tons to an 
average of sixty tons in a season;” p. 106. The same witness adds, “The Dublin 
