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HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



aching backs (sometimes, alas ! with aching hearts) 

 while we have been softly nestled on our pillows. 



Come and let us see what we can find on the feed- 

 ing-grounds of Davy Jones's domain, down on the 

 sea-bed. 



In September, 1869, we found a goodly store of 

 life "Under the Seaweed," in a matted flake of 

 stranded rubbish cast up upon the beach ; and in 

 the same month of last year we skimmed the smooth 

 surface of the Solent on a still night with " The 

 Towing-net," and took more than anybody could 

 describe in a fortnight. Now let us try whether with 

 "The Trawl" we cannot bring to light some of the 

 many living things that dwell deeper down in the 

 same well-known inner sea. & 



beam, and skid along the bottom ; tbe upper edge 

 of the mouth of the net is fastened to the beam, the 

 lower lip of the net is fastened to the ground-rope, 

 a strong rope covered with green hide and weighted 

 with leaden plummets to keep it dragging along 

 the bottom ; its two ends are fastened to the lower 

 and hinder end of the beads; thus the upper lip 

 projects some two feet above and in advance of the 

 ground-rope, which is the first thing to alarm the 

 fish at the bottom. If the latter rise, as they nearly 

 always do, they are stopped by the overhanging 

 upper lip, and the speed of the vessel soon sweeps 

 them into the belly and cob of the net. 



At Portsmouth and Gosport, and in every port 

 and haven from which fishermen put to sea, there 



Fig. 87. The Trawl. 



In this figure, a denotes the iron " head," b the 

 warp, e the guy, d the trawl-beam, e the trawl-warp- 

 block,/ the ground or bottom-rope, g the seizing or 

 lashing of the cob, h the belly of the net, i to g the 

 cob : the cob or end of the bag of the net has a 

 wide opening, through which the contents are taken 



are respectable men to be found with smacks 

 equipped with every requisite,"who will take people 

 out with them for a very moderate charge, at a few 

 hours' notice. And now while our trawl is gathering 

 a great draught for us, let us consider for a few 

 minutes the nature of Pishes in general. 



Fig. 8S. Skeleton of the Perch. 



out ; it is kept closed by the lashing or seizing. 

 There are many patterns and sizes of trawls ; this 

 is a small one, a prawn trawl, about seven feet wide 

 at the mouth, and fifteen feet in length, and is 

 worked from a half-decked cutter-rigged craft of 

 twelve tons ; the " heads" are two heavy iron plates 

 which form a sort of sledge-runners to support the 



The skeleton of the Perch is inserted for the 

 benefit of those who have never examined the bony 

 framework of a fish, and who may be unacquainted 

 with the names of certain parts thereof which we 

 shall frequently have to mention; to those who 

 wish to go further into the subject, we recommend 

 "Owen's Hunterian Lectures, vol. ii. part I. 



