THE NAUTILUS. 



Vol. XXXV OCTOBER, 1921. No. 2 



COLLECTING MOLLUSKS ON A BEAM-TBAWLER. 



BY A. B, FULLEE. 



Collecting mollusks on a beam-trawler while not an ideal way 

 to collect, is nevertheless interesting. These vessels are about 

 135 feet long, 22 feet beam, tonnage about 150, and run by 

 steam. August 6, 1920, found me on one of these steel boats 

 bound for the Georges Bank. Our first set was made about 118 

 miles southeast of the Boston light in about 45 fathoms, inside 

 of the Georges Bank proper. The trawl consists of a sweep net 

 about 90 feet wide and 9 feet deep, held apart and in position 

 by two heavy oak doors about three feet by seven feet, shod 

 with heavy iron on one long side. This makes it ride upright 

 and prevents it from wearing as it drags on the bottom. These 

 doors act as kites to the net, as it were, one at each end of the 

 opening, and each hung by a chain bridle to a steel cable. The 

 cables are attached to steam winches which work simultaneously 

 in lowering and pulling in the net. A heavy rope cable about 

 three inches in diameter stretches from door to door and drags 

 on the bottom, acting as a ground line to which the lower edge 

 of the net is fastened. In the center of the net is a large pocket 

 of coarse meshes, but smaller than the meshes of the net proper. 

 This is called the "cod end," and is protected by a blanket 

 of heavy double-meshed netting, so that in dragging on the 

 bottom it will not snag and tear. A portion of the "cod end " 



