ANIMAL RESOURCES AND FISHERIES OF UNITED STATES. 123 



J?Iefi<hiEii;--ii€'t!>i (entangling in meshes). 

 Gill-nets used in the Great Lakes. 



two meshes in depth, 3f to 5 iuch mesh. The nets when hung or mounted 

 for use contiiiu from one to throe pouuds of webbing, and range in length 

 from 60 to 120 yards, and in depth from 4| to 6 feet. They are set iu 

 gangs of from throe to live nets, and three to five gangs are laid out in 

 one setting usually by aid of sailboats or steamers. (See models of Maoki- 

 naw boat and lake gill-not steamer.) 



For floating the upper lino, round or octagonal tloats of bark, or wooden 

 pickets about two and one-half feet in length, are used. Sinkers are of 

 lead or stone. The nets are set in from 20 to 100 fathoms of water, the 

 lead-line resting upon the bottom. They are taken out once a week and 

 dried. 



They are used principally for the capture of the whitefish {Corajon'm 

 albus, <}'-c.), and the lake trout (-SaZmo nama^cHs/t), though most of the com- 

 mon lake fishes are taken in these meshes. Sea-Island cotton (3, 4, 5, and 

 6 thread) is being largely substituted for linen in their manufacture. 



The weight of the twine preferred by fishermen varies in diiieront locali- 

 ties, that used iu Green Bay being the finest, that in Lake Erie next, 

 then Lakes Michigan and Superior, and heaviest in Lake Huron. Lake 

 Ontario consumes about 5,000 pounds of netting annually, Erie 7,500, 

 Huron G,000, Michigan 20,000, Green Bay 2,500, and Lak(^ Superior 5,000. 

 The aggregate length of this netting is probably about 4,575,000 yards. 



Sisco and herring gill-nets. 



Used in the Great Lakes in the; capture of the sisco (SaJmo si.scowet) and the 

 lake herring {Argyrosmnns chi pel formic). 



* These nets are hung and set like the whitefish-nets previously described. 

 They are knit from linen thread (35-GO, 2-cord) 30 to 40 meshes in depth, 

 and 2| to 3 inch mesh. About 2,500 pounds are annually consumed, chiefly 



' about Sackot's Harbor, N. Y., and Lakes Huron and Micliigan. (E. B. 

 French. ) 



Anchored gill-nets. 



Used on the coast from Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras in the capture of the blno- 

 fish (I'omafomus saltalrix). 



* These nets are knit from cotton twines (12-18 thread, i patent), and are 

 75 to 100 fathoms in length, and 80 to 200 meshes in depth, from U to C 

 inch mesh. They are heavily leaded and anchored with lead-line on the 

 bottom, off-shore, in from 10 to 20 fathoms of w;iter. They are chiefly 

 used by New York fishing vessels ; probably 1,000 or more aw. in use on the 

 coast. In the winter season the fishing vessels follow tlio Ijluofish as far 

 south as Capo Hatteras. (E. B. French.) 



Hook or trap gill-nets. 



Used on the coast of New .Jersey in the capture of the Spanish mackerel 

 (Cybiiim muculatum), &e. 



* These nets are peculiar in shape. They are straight nets, anchored in 

 the form of an L Avith a hook-like continuation, heavily leaded, and witli 

 anchors at the angles. They arc knit from cotton twines (9-12 thread, ^ 

 patent), the outer end being of finer twine. Their length is about 100 

 fathoms, depth 75-100 meslies, 3f to 4 inch mesh. About 100 of those aie 

 in use on the coast, mostly between Sandy Hook and Barnogat Light. (E. 

 B. French.) 



• The nets belonging to this series are enumerated below, among Nos. 26848-26880. 



