58 DEEP-SEA FISHING. 



work, and tlie Brixliain pattern is now bein^ much used 

 by the French trawlers. By means of these irons the 

 trawl-beam is kept nearly three feet above the ground, 

 so that it neither touches nor causes any disturbance of 

 the bottom whatever ; its sole use is to extend the 

 mouth of the net, and if it were to touch the ground, 

 as many persons believe it does, it would eflectually 

 frighten away the fish and prevent their going into 

 the net. 



The trawl itself (Plate II., Fig. 1) is, as we have 

 mentioned, a triangular purse-shaped net, and consists 

 of several portions, each having its own name. An 

 old-fashioned bed watch-pocket laid on its face will 

 perhaps give as intelligible an idea of the shape of a 

 trawl-net as anything else. The upper part or surface 

 of the net is termed the " back," and the under portion 

 the " belly." The front straight edge of the back, or 

 the "square" of the net, is fastened to the beam, and is 

 therefore raised some distance from the ground. The 

 corresponding lower part is cut away in such a manner 

 that the margin forms a deep curve below, extending 

 from one trawl-head to the other, close to the ground, 

 and with the centre of the curve or " bosom " at some 

 distance behind the beam and front of the net. The 

 usual rule for the depth of the curve is that tlie distance 

 from the beam to the bosom should be equal to the 

 lenirth of the beam. In French trawls it is very much 

 less. There is, however, in all cases a considerable 

 space of ground over which the beam and back of tlie 

 net must pass before the fish lying on the bottom aj-e 

 disturbed by the under part of the net. The curved 

 lower margin of the mouth of the trawl is fastened to 

 and protected by the " ground-rope " (Figs. 1, 2 d). 

 This is a piece of old hawser which has done its Icgiti- 



