6G 



too-ether within tlie trap so that tliough a fish can pass easily through 

 the narrow opening at the small or inner end of the funnel it cannot 

 return, and finds itself impounded in the cage ; bait is placed inside 

 the cage to attract the fish. These, of course, are common all over 

 the world but not in Madras waters, except occasionallj and of small 

 size. 



142. Lines and JiooJis. — Nothing special requires note except that 

 the long line with many hooks is very much more used than in this 

 Presidency, though the lines do not attain the gigantic length of 

 British lines because of the small size of the boats ; some, however, 

 run up to 1,400 fathoms or about 1| miles. Barbless hooka are 

 frequently used as they injure the fish less and permit it to live longer 

 after capture. It is also said (Dr. Kishinouye) that hand lines are 

 used in Japan to the enormous depth of 300 fathoms, a depth not 

 parallelled, I believe, even in the Norwegian cod fisheries where 200 

 fathoms are mentioned as the limit, 



143. Noteworthy methods in catching. — As on the coasts of France, 

 Spain, and Italy scattered bait is largely used to attract fish ; in 

 European countries a quantity of surface bait is used to bring up the 

 shoals of sardines from the depth, while in Japan sardines, fresh or 

 salted, are scattered frequently on the banks frequented by yellow- 

 tail in order to keep the fish on the spot, I have seen no such use of 

 bait on the Madras Coasts, though it is possible that sardine shoals 

 might be brought within reach of the seine by some such practice. 



The use of torches on dark nights to attract fish, e.<j.. sardines and 

 nmckerel, is very common ; this method is also used on Madras 

 Coasts. An ingenious mode of using the torches is by suspending a 

 large rectangular net, 200 feet X 60 feet, slackly by a dozen or more 

 ropes from four boats ; two boats with torches then row into the area 

 above the centre of the net ; when mackerel have gathered to the 

 light, the boats haul in the ropes and enclose the fish in the bag thus 

 formed while the torch boats row out of the area. At the Milan 

 exhibition (1906) in the Austrian Court, powerful lamps (kerosine or 

 acetylene) were shown having reflectors above them, so that strong 

 beams of light are thrown into the depths and thus attract fish like 

 moths to a candle. 



For examining the bottom of the sea, e.g., in catching the sea-ear 

 {Ilaliotis gigantea), the use of a water glass is common ; however 

 clear the water, it is impossible to see the bottom if the surface is 

 rufiled ; by using a wide wooden tube with glass bottom thrust below 

 the surface, it is easy to inspect the bottom at 4 or 5 fathoms and to 

 use the spear or dredge. 



144. One of the most useful implements that I saw was the live 

 cage or chest for preserving fish alive until brought to shore or until 

 needed. In paragraphs 7 and 13 of my West Coast Report this 



