39 



finishes by passing through one of the openings available. But. 

 behind each of these issues, a final chamber with walls as impassable 

 as those of the large triangular space it has quitted, yields it into the 

 hands of the fishermen. 



" These ingenious devices which the Adriatic currents permit of 

 execution, are not therefore limited to the attraction of fish from the 

 lagoon into the sea-channels ; they assist as well in the separation 

 of the species just as the mechanism of certain factories separates the 

 material which is the object of their operations. The art of fishing is 

 elevated here to the height of an industry which reposes on principles 

 of which the application conducts to a termination contemplated in 

 advance and always with identical results. This industry marks the 

 place where the crop shall be gathered and each species proceeds to 

 the store compartment which is assigned to it ; there is only to open 

 a sluice in order to operate this marvel which during the space of 

 three months collects yearly the matured harvest of the lagoon." 



The construction of a fishing labyrinth, termed lavor- 

 iero at Comacchio, will be readily understood from the 

 foregoing description read in conjunction with the 

 diagram here inserted (fig. 7). 



A fishing labyrinth divested of detail may be described 

 in short as an arrangement of vertical walls made of two 

 or of three thicknesses of reed screens embedded in the 

 bottom of a sea-channel and supported by vertical posts 

 and horizontal poles, the whole arrangement forming a 

 succession of angular enclosures, each having the open 

 base turned towards the passage {covo/a) leading to the 

 lagoon, and the apex towards the sea. The fish enter 

 the main or second enclosure, the lavoriero proper, 

 through a narrow vertical opening cunningly contrived 

 at the apex of the first series of palisades. When in turn 

 the fish attempt to leave this principal chamber, in passing 

 out the species separate automatically in such manner 

 that the mullet are imprisoned in a small round or heart- 

 shaped pound, called baldresca, at the apex of the palisades 

 of the main enclosure, while the eels pass through the 

 comparatively thin wall of the baldresca into a terminal 

 triangular enclosure havino- a small chamber or otele at 

 each of its angles (pi. V., fig 8, and pi. VI., figs. 9 and 10). 

 The walls of the otelia.s well as those of the large enclosure 

 whereof they form part, are constructed in a most massive 

 manner ; the reed screen, composed of a great number 

 of layers of reed fascines, is usually from 7 to 8 inches 

 thick supported by stout piles and secured by strong 

 horizontal baulks of timber on the exterior as seen in 

 pi. V., fig. 7, and pi. VI., fig. 10. From the final traps 



