1898] 



THE tU!EY MULLET FISHERY IN JAPAN 255 



entirely sunk under the surface of water, while in other cases only 

 one side is sunk. In rocky districts where the sea is generally 

 deep, the mullet swims very close inshore. The net is often set in a 

 bay having a slight curvative, because such a place is more convenient 

 than an open coast or a coast deeply indented. In the former ease 

 the sea is mure rough, while in the latter case the fish does not come 

 often. The movement of the fish is observed from towers on land, 

 and the communication between them is made by signals. When 

 the fish come on the net, the sunken side or sides are immediately 



Fig. 2. 



raised by hauling ropes which are fastened to the sides of the net. 

 Ropes are held by anchored boats, and are hauled by a signal from 

 the watch-tower nearest to the net. Such a dip-net is sometimes 

 accompanied with two long wings, which are used to encircle the fish 

 and force them to go on to the sunken net as well as to prevent 

 them from escaping. As the quick performance of work is neces- 

 sary for this fishery, numerous boats and men are generally em- 

 ployed. 



The pound-net, — The apparatus (Fig. 3) next to be described 

 is not a proper pound-net, because fish do not come into the net by 

 themselves, moreover there is no special device to prevent the 



Fig. 



fish which enter the net from going out again. The net is spiral 

 in shape. It is supported by bamboo sticks, stuck into ground, and 

 consists of three different parts — outer, middle, and inner or central. 



