114 DEEP-SEA FISHING. 



any appearance they may have observed in the day at 

 a few miles distance, although it may be quite possible 

 that there are plenty of fish close by, but out of sight. 

 There must necessarily be a great deal of uncertainty 

 in a fishery of this description, for there is very little 

 known of the causes which influence the fish in their 

 daily movements, although it is probable that the 

 greater or less abundance of food is an important one. 



The phosphorescent light produced at times by 

 myriads of minute medusas and other marine animals 

 when disturbed, especially in fine calm weather, is 

 sometimes made use of by fishermen in their search for 

 herrings, and often leads to the discovery of fish when 

 other indications are wanting. The fishermen call it by 

 the names of "brimming," "waterburn," or "marfire";^ 

 the last term we have found especially in use on the 

 coast of Northumberland. When the water is in this 

 condition the slightest agitation, as is well known, pro- 

 duces sparks and flashes of light ; and the presence of 

 fish is often indicated by the streaks of light which are 

 caused by their suddenly darting through the water, 

 and even when stationary, by the luminous patches 

 which then result, we are inclined to believe, from the 

 constant movements of their fins. We have seen the 

 fishermen take advantage of this when looking for a 

 desirable place for shooting their nets : a man leaning 

 over the bow of the boat and occasionally rapping with 

 a piece of wood against the planks close to the water. 

 Now and then a fish betrayed itself by the line of light 

 it produced as it darted away, and when these indica- 

 tions became more numerous it was decided to shoot the 

 nets. This luminous condition of the water, however, 



* Mar-fire = sea-fire; the prefix apparently one of the numerous derivations 

 from mare, the sea. 



