THE LOBSTER FISHERY. 667 



weighted by means of stones or bricks lashed on the inside at the center or on both sides. Two 

 bricks furnish the requisite weight for each pot. 



These lobster pots are set both on single warps and in trawls of 8 or 10 to 30 or 40 pots. 

 On rocky bottoms they are almost always used in the former way, and frequently also on smooth 

 bottoms, especially where lobsters are somewhat scarce, for at every hauling they are shifted more 

 or less from place to place. The distance apart at which the pots are set depends upon the 

 character of the bottom aud the abundance of lobsters. There is less uniformity in this respect 

 when they are set singly than when arranged on trawls. By the latter method they are placed 

 all the way from 10 to 50 fathoms apart and rarely nearer than 20 fathoms. The line by which 

 they are lowered aud hauled up, and which also serves as a buoy line, is fastened to one of the end 

 frames of the bottom or sill, as it is called, at the intersection of the hoop. The buoy and trawl 

 lines consist of six to nine thread manila cord, which may be purchased tarred or otherwise, the 

 fishermen frequently preferring to prepare their owu lines with coal tar. 



The buoys generally consist of a tapering piece of cedar or spruce, wedge shaped or nearly 

 spindle shaped, and measuring 18 inches, more or less, in length. They are occasionally painted in 

 distinctive colors, in order that each fisherman may recognize his own, but are generally simply 

 boiled in coal tar to prevent their becoming water logged. Another common style of buoy con- 

 sists of a small keg surmounted by a flag, in order that it may be seen at a greater distance. 



In the construction of the ordinary kind of pot, one bunch of laths will answer for about 

 three pots. The cost of these pots on different parts of the coast varies from 75 cents to $1 each. 



The rectangular lath pots differ from the semi-cylindrical simply in being square above 

 instead of rounded, and they are generally of smaller size. They are not employed on the coast 

 of Maine, but are used to some extent in Rhode Island and Connecticut. 



At Rockport and elsewhere on the coast of Maine, the fishermen occasionally construct au 

 enlarged form of the common round-top pot, with room for twice the quantity of lobsters. This 

 style of pot, originated at Harpswell, Me., in 1879. A sample furnished the United States National 

 Museum from Rockport dift'ers from the common pot above described, in having a length of 7 feet, 

 five supporting frames at equal distances apart, instead of three, and two additional funnels, one 

 funnel being attached to each of the frames excepting the center one, and all pointing inward. 

 The lobsters must pass through two funnels before reaching the bait, and their chances of escape 

 are thereby much lessened. 



On some portions of the coast wooden funnels replace the net ones, though the latter are prob- 

 ably preferable. The wooden funnels are constructed of laths, converging inward from the rim 

 of the pot to form a small squarish opening, about the size of that in the net funnels. 



There is another style of pot, but rarely used, in which the essential feature is a trap-door on 

 which the lobster must climb in order to reach the bait, and which suddenly gives way, precipi- 

 tating him into a secure inclosure. We have not, however, been able to obtain details of its con- 

 struction. 



Complaints are occasionally made by the fishermen that, especially during certain seasons, 

 their pots are badly eaten by "worms," either the ship-worm (Teredo) or one of the species of 

 small boring crustaceans. A correspondent at Truro, Cape Cod, says they are subject to their 

 attacks more particularly during September, when the pests are most destructive, often reducing 

 the pots to mere fragments. 



NET POTS. The lath pot has been partly superseded on the New Jersey coast by another 

 style of closed pot, introduced about 1872, by Mr. Charles Wooley, of Seabright, and called the net 

 pot. The latter is constructed entirely of netting, supported upon three hoops as a frame- work. 



