CONTENTS. 



INTRODUCTOEY. 



Fisheries a subject of interest and importance to this country — Fishermen 

 commonly unacquainted with many of the habits of fish — Improvement 

 in the appliances for fishing — Fisheries not a nursery for the Navy — 

 Condition of the fisheries — Supply of fish to the markets — Impossibility 

 of estimating it — Effect of the extension of railways and the use of ice on 

 the development of the fisheries — Great increase of trawlers — Immense 

 demand for fish — Prices — The fish trade — Salesmen and fishmongers 



— Registration and classification of boats imperfect — Alleged scarcity of 

 fish inshore — Supposed spawning habits of sea fish — Important discoveries 

 by M. Sars — Floating spawn — Fish do not necessarily approach tlie land 

 for the purpose of spawning — Destruction of small fish in bays probably 

 of slight imj^ortance — Close- time unnecessary — Extent of ground trawled 

 on and of ground undisturbed — General prospects of the sea fisheries 



Pagel 



I.— TEAWLING. 



Uncertainty as to origin of — Various kinds of trawl — Supposed long use of 



— Principal trawling stations — Description of the beam-trawl — Beam, 

 heads, net, ground-rope — Arrangement and use of pockets — Warp, bridles 

 — • Size and description of trawl-smacks — Improved rig — Cost of vessels 

 and gear — Barking sails — Working the trawl — Shooting the net — ■ 

 Towing — Action of the trawl — Ground-fish and floating fish — Resistance 

 of the water — Heaving up — Hoisting in the fish — Varied contents of 

 trawl — Suitable weather — Depth of water — Condition of trawl-fish — 

 Classification of — "Prime and oflal" — Abundance of certain kinds — 

 Fishing grounds, continued supply from — Plymouth, Brixham, North Sea 



— Discovery of Silver Pit — ■ Large number of trawlers 51 



II.— DEIFT-NET FISHING. 



Long practice of — How the fish are caught — Proper time for fishing — 

 Description of drift-nets, materials, size — Yarmouth luggers, how fitted 

 up — Herring fishing — Shooting the net — " Driving " — Interference by 

 trawlers — Regulations to prevent it — Hauling the nets — Mackerel fishing 

 — Pilchard fishing — Looking for herrings — " Appearances " — Phospho- 

 rescent water objectionable — Effect of sounds on fish — Regular appearance 



