Chap. 113.—An ACT for the protection of wild water-fowl in Accomac
county.

Approved February 22, 1878.

1. Beit enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
if any person (except from the land) shall shoot or kill wild
fowl during the night within the jurisdiction of the waters of
Accomac county, or if any person from a skiff, float, or other
craft, or by the aid thereof, within the jurisdiction of the
waters of the county aforesaid, in the night. time, shoot or
kill wild fowl, he may be convicted thereot before a justice,
and on conviction thereof, shall surrender his gun and any
such skiff, float, or other craft; and the same shall be for-
feited to the informer and to those who shall assist in making
the arrest of the person, or persons, violating this law. [Lf
he fail to surrender them, he shall be committed to jail for
thirty days; and morcover, if any person offending against
this section, shall use reflectors, lamps, or lights of any
description, in the night time, for the purpose of killing wild
fowl iu the said waters, (the possession thereof being prima
facie eveidence of his guilt,) he shall forfeit not less than ten
nor more than fifty dollars; which said forfeiture shall go to
the informer and to those who shall arrest the offender, to be
equally apportioned among them; and if the offender shall
not, on rendition of judgment against him, pay the amount
of the said forfeiture and costs, he shall be committed to: the
county jail for imprisonment therein for a period of not less
than ten, nor more than thirty days.

2. This act sball be given in charge to the grand jury at
every term of the circuit court of Accomac, in which a regu-
lar grand jury may be impannceled; and it shall be the duty
of the sheriff of said county to prosecute the offending party
promptly and vigorousty; and in every case of wilful failure
to perform this duty, he shall, on complaint by any person
to the judge of the county or circuit court, be fined not less
than ten nor more than twenty dollars.

3. Any person convicted under the provisions of this act,
shall have the right to appeal to the county or corporation
court, and shall, unless Iet to bail, be committed by the jus-
tice to jail until the next term of such court, and the witnesses
shall be recognized to appear at said court; and tbe said jus-
tice shall return and file the papers with the clerk of said
court, whether the appeal be applied for or not.

4. ‘The appeal shall be tried before said court, without
formal pleadings in writing, and the accused shall be entitled
to trial by a jury, to be impanncled in the same way as in
like cases originating in said court.

5. This act shall be in force from its passage.