NETS AND WEIRS. The principal nets are the beanctrawl, the gill-net, and seine. In America the 'long line' is known as a trawl, but in Eng land this term refers to a large, purse-shaped net attached to a front beam. which is weighted and dragged at varying depths near or along the bot tom for bottom fishes, such as soles and iktm ders. This is one of the principal methods of fishing in the British waters. Trawls are often of great size. 75 to 100 feet in length, and are used at great depths, requiring vessels of con siderable strength. Gill-nets or drift-nets are ex tensively used both in the seas and in inland waters, since they are suitable to any water of sufficient depth to float them properly. They are set or drifted across channels or across the course of migration of fishes. Schools of fishes, striking the net, will become entangled. This is one of the favorite methods for capturing species that move in schools at or near the surface, such as the herring, and which cannot be easily trapped or taken with the line. The seine is a long net of varying depth, weighted along the lower edge to keep this at the bottom. while the upper edge is provided with floats suffieiently strong to support the seine and keep it vertically stretched. It is usually intended to be dragged to the shore, or to some prearranged platform: but one form for use in the open sea, (Idled a 'purse-net,' has a rope along the bottom by which that part may be gathered together, form ing a deep bag, within which the fishes may be crowded into a small space near the surface, and then dipped out. Pound-nets and fyke-nets are
fixed traps. Pound-nets consist of a long wing, or leader,' supported on stakes, and forming a fence which runs from near shore out to varying distances. and terminates in a labyrinthine in closure forming a trap. Fishes swimming against the wing and seeking to pass around it are led out to the trap. entering which they are imprisoned. The pound-net is simply a modern and improved form of tile ancient weir (still in service in various parts of the world), which was composed of stakes and wattle or lines of planted brush instead of netting. Fvke-nets are long. cylindrical bags, supported at intervals by hoops. The entrance is by a funnel leading into one or more compartments, separated by similar fun nel-shaped partitions, through which the fish will not return. This net may he supplied with wings, like the ordinary pound-net or weir. leading the fish into the funnel-opening. Fykes are set at the bottom, and may be used at eon siderable depths. For information as to lowing `intermediate' deep-sea nets and dredges, see DEEP-SEA EXPLORATION.