HA RD WICKKS SCIENCE- G OSSIP. 



53 



in the ocean, the task of catching any individual 

 specimen being much like the traditional quest for 

 the needle hidden in a truss of bay. 



After several experiments the under- described 

 form of drift-net was devised, and it answers so well 

 that, for surface-work, it leaves little to be desired. 

 The essential point of the improvement lies in the 

 tail of the net being composed of a glass tube, into 

 which the whole of the catch is carried by the gentle 

 current, which constantly flows through the net as it 

 hangs in the tideway. 



Fig. 38. — Outline section of Net and Tube. 



do is to obtain a circular block of cork, about 2 

 inches thick and 4-5 inches in diameter. A hole large 

 enough to admit the narrow part of the tube, but to 

 hold it tightly near the shoulder, is then cut through 

 the centre of it. Having fitted the cork thus on to 

 the tube, place them together in a bucket of water, 

 when, unless your lube be exceptionally thick, the 

 whole will be found to float. Now gradually pare 

 away the outer edge of the cork until the two together 

 will just sink. The point should next be ascertained 

 and noted at which the cork just balances the tube 

 in the water in a horizontal position. 



Now make a tube of strong calico long enough to 



reach from this point to the end of the small part of 



the tube, and fitting it closely, and sew on to its 



upper end a funnel-shaped piece of the same material 



spreading out rapidly to 6 or 8 inches in 



diameter. Cover your cork with a tight 



calico jacket, and then pass the lower end 



of the calico tube through the hole in its 



centre, and stitch its edge firmly to the calico forming 



the margin of the aperture in the jacket. 



We come now to the construction of the net 

 proper. Bunting, though commonly used hitherto, 

 is a bad material for this, being too " fluffy." The 



Fig. 39 — Showing Net suspended from bowsprit end of ship. 



The tubes employed for the purpose were chimneys 

 from a large argand lamp, and these, though they 

 might be improved in certain details, on the whole 

 answer very well. Such lamp-glasses consist of a 

 long tube about 1 J inches in diameter, terminating in 

 a shoulder, which unites this to a shorter piece of 

 considerably larger diameter. 



For our especial purpose it would be better to 

 have the long portion slightly narrower, and the part 

 below the shoulder considerably wider than at present, 

 say 3-4 inches in diameter. A thickened rim to the 

 edge of this would be a further advantage. Such a 

 tube would appear in long section as seen in Fig. 36. 



Having selected a suitable tube, the first thing to 



material that answered best was a very coarse but 

 strong unbleached muslin, of native manufacture. 

 I have no doubt, however, that something of the 

 same sort is obtainable at home. Of this a conical 

 bag is made, 18 inches in diameter at the mouth, 

 6 inches below, where it is sewn on to the top of the 

 calico funnel, and 3 or 4 feet long. The mouth is 

 kept open by a ring of brass wire about the thick- 

 ness of a penholder. An inner conical bag about 18 

 inches long, opens below into the main bag. The 

 opening, being 5 or 6 inches in diameter, is added to 

 act as a trap to prevent any animals that may have 

 entered from escaping. 



In practice I have the two conical bags made in 



