360 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



The boats employed. — Instead of the 80-ton schooners of the American coast, with 

 their two seine boats, and along shore the dories, the Irish fishing- is prosecuted — 



(1) By 30-ton boats which can lower their masts when the nets are shot, and are 

 in many cases provided with steam gear for hauling the nets. 



(2) By rowboats and by canvas canoes which take three to six nets to the fishing- 

 ground. In some bays in the west of Ireland from 60 to 100 of these canoes take part 

 in the fishing. They are particularly seaworthy, and, owing to their great lightness, 

 can easily be removed from the beaches when heavy seas break upon the coast. They 

 differ in construction on various parts of the coast; those on the Kerry coast are the 

 most carefully built, while the most primitive design is met with in Donegal. 



The sheer of the floor, coming right out of the water both fore and aft, gives them 

 the best qualities of the dory, and the delicate framework enables them to adopt more 

 graceful lines than is possible in the American craft. 



During the spring of the present year 062 large boats (including 93 from France) 

 fished mackerel on the Irish coast, and 809 row boats and canoes. 



Annexed are four photographs taken by Mr. R. Welch, of Belfast, who has made 

 a large series of such views. 



