104 MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN VOL. XV, 



quickly than the leaf bundles, thus ensuring that they stream away 

 from the catamaran on the windward side. My former statement 

 that the bundles were put out on the leeward side is therefore 

 incorrect; neither is any anchor-stone thrown overboard to retard 

 the drift of the catamaran. 



After adjusting their lures, the men patiently await the 

 gathering of the flying-fish around the leaf bundles. If they 

 are plentiful, they haul early and capture what fish have come ; 

 with good luck they may fill their catamaran within a couple 

 of hours. On the clay we were out, the fish were scarce, 

 possibly on account of the long spell of bad weather that had 

 prevailed till the previous day ; the men could do nothing but wait 

 and pass their time resting, sleeping, or fishing with hand lines, 

 whereof a supply had been brought. 



When fishes are seen to have gathered in quantity round any 

 bundle, it is pulled very cautiously toward the catamaran with 

 every precaution not to scare away the fishes. Two couples of men 

 squat ready on the accessory log, each couple with a dip-net ready 

 between them ; one man holds the pole attached to one side of the 

 net, his companion the other. The bundle is hauled in so that it 

 comes alongside between the two sets of dip-nets ; if fish be 

 plentiful the two nets are brought into play and the fish scooped out 

 swiftly and quietly. The fore end of each net is dipped almost 

 vertically into the water, brought up under the fish and then, being 

 raised quickly, the fish slide down the middle of the net into the 

 catamaran where the three other men cram them as quickly as 

 possible into big palm-leaf bags. The reason for the peculiar 

 form, and large dimensions of the dip-nets is now obvious, as well 

 as that for the accepted number of seven making up the crew, 

 namely, three men to tend the three lures and store away the fishes, 

 and four men to man the dip-nets. 



Our men stated that they saw 40 or 50 flying-fishes round the 

 bundles, but unfortunately when they hauled them in they were 

 able to capture only a single fish, a ripe male as it subsequently 

 proved to be. Its length was 7% inches over all. 



