AND THE FISH THEREOF. 117 



5. Trawling-nets, 



Rett a strascino (strascico), Rcti raschiauti, a term which is applied not only 

 to the trawl proper, as we understand it in England, but also to a variety of 

 seine-nets which are shot in a semicircle and both ends drawn towards some 

 place, either on shore or to a boat at anchor, where the net is gathered in. 

 Among the latter may be mentioned the Tratta di fondo and Grippo, a 

 mode of fishing which is infinitely more pernicious to the fisheries in general 

 than any properly-worked trawl, as it is carried on in shallow waters, and 

 often close in shore, thus destroying a quantity of young, and, at the time of 

 catching, worthless fry. 



The systems adopted by the Italian fishermen (Chioggiotti), which are 

 known as the Cocchia and Tartana, are the only ones which at all come up 

 to our ideas of trawling, the principal difference being that no beam is used 

 as in England. 



The Cocchia, or coccia (see Plate XIX.), is used exclusively by the 

 Chioggiotti, and drawn by two boats ipragozzi) under sail, each boat running 

 parallel to the other and drawing one end of the net, which is held by means of 

 drag-ropes (alzand) 40 to 50 fathoms in length. It is worked, by preference, 

 against the current, over muddy grounds by day, — the mud raised by the 

 passage of the net clouding the water and shutting out the light, which 

 renders the fish confused and motionless, whereby they become an easy 

 prey. By night-time it is worked over rocky beds. The depth varies from 

 20 to 50 fathoms. 



The structure of this net differs from that of the seine {trattd) in the 

 shape of the bag (sacco or panza), which, in this case, is conical, measuring 

 5 to 6 fathoms across at the opening, and narrowing by degrees to 8 to 10 

 feet diameter. Here commences a kind of funnel, which is kept open by 

 means of hoops, and ends in a purse, the opening of which measures 5 feet 

 across, and the ends of which are gathered together and secured by a rope. 

 This has simply to be undone when the net is hauled on deck, and the fish 

 fall out at the end. The funnel and purse is known as the Cogblo, and 

 forms about one-half of the total depth of the bag, which is 6 fathoms ; 



