EXPLANATION OF PLATES. 



PLATE I (FRONTISPIECE). 



General view of San Carlo Fishing Station and labyrinth, Valle Ponti, Comacchio. 



In the centre is seen the terminal otele ; on its massive reed palisade-wall a fisher- 

 man is standing with the dip-net in his hand used for lifting out the trapped 

 eels. To the right is a stack of bundles of reeds employed in the construction 

 of the labyrinth walls. The building behind is used as barracks by the fishermen 

 stationed here. 



PLATE II. 



Figure i. Operation of freshening the water (faite boite) of a fish-farm at Le 



Teiche, Arcachon. View of the inner end of a wooden sluice. 

 One sluice shutter is raised to its full extent and the tide in high flood is pouring 



through into the ponds. Immediately under the raised wire-net screen is seen 



the distended bag of the sleeve net. 

 Figure 2. Seaward end of the same sluice taken at the same time as figure 1. 



These two figures show well the simple construction of the majority of sluices 



in use. 



PLATE III. 



Figure 3. View of the seaward end of the same sluice as in figures I and 2, during 

 the operation of deboire — the letting out of a portion of the pond water prepa- 

 ratory to " freshening." In this operation the photograph shows that the 

 sluice shutter is raised very slightly in order to obviate the production of a 

 strong current from the ponds to the sea. 



Figure 4. The same sluice closed. Note the great length of the sleeve-net sus- 

 pended between its frame and the sluice-gate for the purpose of drying. 



PLATE IV. 



Figure 5. Le Teiche fish-farm. Seaward end of a closed sluice having concrete 

 walls. The outer wire-net screen is lowered to rest in its grooves. The flat 

 nature of the adjacent country is clearly indicated. 



Figure 6. View of the inner end of a double sluice-way at Tacquets, Arcachon. 

 The sluice-gates are closed and the sleeve-nets raised for drying. Note the 

 solid construction of the sluice walls and the substitution of iron shutters and 

 screws for the wooden ones seen in the preceding illustrations. 



PLATE V. 



Figure 7. Fish labyrinth, Serilla Fishing Station, Valle Vacca, Comacchio. 

 View from the covola looking towards the apex of the first set of palisades. 



Figure 8. The same labyrinth to show a lateral otele wherein the eels are finally 

 trapped. The group of men at the left of the view are standing about the 

 baldresca, the thin-walled chamber where the mullet are separated from the 

 eels. A moveable hooped fish-trap is seen suspended from a pole over the 

 otele. 



PLATE VI. 



Figure 9. View of the terminal trap-chambers (oteli) of two twin labyrinths at 

 Serilla Fishing Station. The substantial nature of the piles and crossbeams 

 supporting the reed palisades is well seen. 



Figure 10. View from within the cogolara of one of the above labyrinths looking 

 towards the mouth of the terminal otele or trap. Note the great thickness of 

 the reed palisading and its inner and outer series of supporting piles. 



PLATE VII. 



Figure ii. View from Serilla Fishing Station looking towards its sea-canal (Canal 

 Ungola). Note the nets stretched across the mouth of the canal to prevent 

 escape to the sea of any fish which succeed in forcing the passage of the 

 labyrinths. 



Figure 12. A lock in a service passage leading from a sea-canal into Valle Cona. 

 See text-figure No. 8 for the outline of a lock-shutter. 



b 



