42 FISHES. 



The presence of these birds is so sure an indica- 

 tion of the position of the fish, that the fisher- 

 men hasten to the spot where they are seen hover- 

 ing in the air. The canoe skims rapidly along, 

 rising and falling on the waves, by which a similar 

 motion is communicated to the hook, which skips 

 along, sometimes out and sometimes in the water, 

 while the plumes of feathers flutter immediately 

 above. The artifice rarely fails to succeed ; if 

 the Bonito perceives the hook, he instantly en- 

 gages in pursuit, and if he misses his grasp, per- 

 severes until he has seized it. The moment the 

 man in the stern perceives the capture, he hoists 

 the crane, and the fish is dragged in, and thrown 

 into a sort of long basket, suspended between the 

 two canoes. The crane is then lowered again, 

 and all is ready for another candidate.* 



The use of the hook and line with us may be 

 considered as divided into two branches ; in the 

 one these implements are employed as a trade, 

 in the other as a sport. Several of our valua- 

 ble fisheries are carried on almost exclusively 

 with the hook ; for example, Cod, Haddock, 

 Whiting, Hake, Ling, Coalfish, Pollock, and 

 other Fishes, all belonging to the great and im- 

 portant Cod family {GadidcB), are taken in this 

 manner, as well as the Turbot, Plaice, Flounder, 

 and most other Flat-fish {Pleuronectidce). There 

 are two modes of line-fishing, neither of which 

 requires the use of a rod. The first is by long 

 lines, deep sea-lines, or bulters, as they ai'e vari- 

 ously called, consisting of a strong line of great 

 length, with an anchor at one end and a buoy- 

 rope at the other. At regular distances along 

 * " The Ocean." 



