FISHES. 33 



nets, shaped somewhat like a funnel, with a wide 

 mouth, diminishing to a narrow hose at the ex- 

 tremity. The Sole and the Gurnards are cap- 

 tured by means of a trawl, a net of somewhat 

 similar form, but fitted for dragging over the 

 bottom ; and the Salmon is taken in several sorts 

 of nets, varying much from each other, and pe- 

 culiar to this valuable fishery. 



The spear is little used with us as a fishing 

 implement. In the north of Scotland, however, 

 it is employed to strike Salmon, as at Invermoris- 

 ton, where a river flows in a narrow chasm be- 

 tween two projecting rocks. " The fisherman 

 seats himself on a cleft of this rock, right over 

 the cascade, with a spear in his hand, which has 

 a line fixed to the upper end of the shaft, similar 

 to the practice of fishing for Whales with har- 

 poons. Whenever the Salmon makes a spring to 

 gain the ascent over the cataract, the spearman 

 strikes the fish and lets the shaft go, holding 

 only by the line until the fish has exhausted his 

 strength ; then the spear and fish are thrown 

 ashore by the stream, and taken out at the lower 

 side of the pool." 



In ancient Egypt a favourite mode of fishing 

 was that performed with a bident, or two-pronged 

 spear. Like angling, it seems to have been an 

 amusement of the higher orders, who were ac- 

 customed to use a boat made of papyrus, " in 

 which they glided smoothly over the- lakes and 

 canals within their own grounds, without disturb- 

 ing the fish as they lay beneath the broad leaves 

 of the lotus plant." " On these occasions they 

 were usually accompanied by some of their chil- 

 dren, and by one or two attendants, who assisted 



D 



