BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 285 



are carefully adapted to certain definite purposes. If we only knew 

 these 2)urposes we would undoubtedly learn much from the Japanese. 

 Many of these forms have been adopted by English manufacturers. 



The artificial fly also has gone through a course of development in 

 Japan entirely peculiar to that countr3\ Those which were on exhibition 

 in Berlin consisted of hooks of the smallest kind given in our illustration ; 

 the head is of brass, perfectly round, with a diameter half that of the 

 width of the hook, the body is either red, black, or gold colored, or has 

 all three colors. From the head six to eight brown hairs run along the 

 body, extending twice its length, and surrounding it on all sides; every- 

 thing about it displays an elegance and accuracy of workmanship which 

 need not fear comparison with the finest English flies. 



In Switzerland, in the canton of Tessin, a iieculiar form of hooks has 

 been employed from time immemorial. They have no beard, and an 

 exceedingly fine and long point, and are used for catching ISabno thy- 

 ftuiUm^ trout, and " may-fish." 



The Chinese produce clumsy imitations of English hooks, but their 

 own hooks are peculiar, having exceptionally small beards, not on the 

 back of the point, but on the side. This is of great importance, for the 

 beard wliich is commonly used, and which is on the inner side or back of 

 the point, has two disadvantages ; in the first place, it is as unfavorably 

 located as possible for the rapid entering of the hook, which therefore 

 frequently does not catch ; and in the second place, it is inclined to 

 come out of itself, for when it enters, a hollow space is created between 

 the beard and the lower bend of the hook, which is prevented from 

 closing up by the portions of the hook which surround it on three sides. 

 Whenever the person holding the line momentarily ceases to pull, the 

 hook gets a chance to slip back, and the beard but too readily finds 

 the necessary space to glide out of the wound without catching any- 

 where, especially when the parts where the hook has entered are lean 

 and possess but little elasticity, as is the case with the pike. But if 

 the beard is placed more or less on the side of the point, this ofiers 

 the important advantage that the beard does not hinder the entering 

 of the point ; the hollow space referred to above will also be created, 

 but it is not, as in the common hooks, between the beard and the bend 

 of the hook, but on the side of the latter, and is consequently less in- 

 clined to close up immediatelj'. The point of the beard, moreover, does 

 not lie right over the center of the hollow space, but close to its edge. 

 Even if the hook should slip back, the beard will always keep close to 

 the edge of the wound, and will, in most cases, fasten itself somewhere, 

 thus preventing the hook from slipping out entirely. Placing the 

 beard at the side of the point, therefore, offers two decided advantages, 

 without having a single disadvantage ; and it is really surprising that 

 manufacturers have not given more attention to this matter. 



Of new forms which have recently been brought into the market, the 

 following deserve special mention : 



1. Longshanks, or hooks whose handle is twice as long as is com* 



