depredation

[Lat. deprædatio, from dep. rædat us, pa. par. of deprædor to depredate; Fr. déprédation; Sp. depredacion; Ital. depredazione.] I. Ordinary Language: 1. The act of plundering, pillaging, or laying waste; plunder, pillage, robbery. "The land had never been before so free from robberies and depredations as through his reign."- Wotton. 2. A waste; a consumption; a wearing away or despoiling. such depredations and changes of sea and land." -Woodward , II. Scots Law : A forcible or violent driving away of cattle and other beasts. [HERSHIP.] Crabb thus discriminates between depredation and robbery: " Depredation signifies the act of spoiling or laying waste, as well as taking away. Robbery, on the other hand, signifies simply the removal or taking away from another by violence. Every depredation , therefore, includes a robbery, but not vice vers a. A depredation is always attended with mischief to some one, though not always with advantage to the depredator ; but the robber always calculates on getting something for himself. Depredations are often committed for the indulgence of private animosity; robbery is always committed from a thirst for gain. Depredation is either the public act of a community or the private act of individuals; robbery mostly the private act of individuals. Depredations are committed wherever the occasion offers, in open or covert places: robberies are committed either on the persons or houses of individuals. In former times neighboring states used to commit frequent depre dations on each other, even when not in a state of open hostility; robberies were, however, then le frequent than at present. Depredation is used in the proper and bad sense, for animals as well as for men; robbery may be employed figuratively and in the indifferent sense. Birds are great depredators in the cornfields: bees may be said to plunder or rob the flowers of their sweets." (Crabb: Eng. Synon.)