60 Records of flic Indian Miiscuin. [Vol. XIV, 



1-47 m. in diameter. Siuall C'ypriiiidae, and especially small prawns, 

 are caught by dipping baskets of the kind into the water under 

 duckweed or other floating plants among the floating islands in the 

 marginal zone of the lake and in canals and water-channels in the 

 surrounding country. The water runs out through the interstices of 

 the basket when it is lifted, leaving the little fish and prawns in a 

 mass of weeds. 



Nets. 



At least six different types of nets are recognised by the revenue 

 officers of the Yawnghwe State. Some of these nets are distinguished 

 by the name of the fish which they are used in catching. There is the 

 nga-ijan-paik {i.e., the net for catching Ophiocephalus striatus), the 

 nga-pein-paik {i.e., the Carp net), and the nga-kon-mn-paik {i.e., the 

 net for catching Barhus sarana). There are also the hmaw-chit-paik, 

 the paik-yot-kyi — names I cannot explain — and the kun or cast-net. 



The prices of monthly licenses for these different nets are as follows : — 



T-- I CM*. Monthly 



Kind or Net. -, ■ •' 



Licence. 



R a. p. 



Nga-yan-paik ... ... ... ... S 



Nga-kon-ma-paik ... ... ... ... (i 8 



Hmaw-chit-paik ... ... ... ... 18 



Paik-yat-kyi ... ... ... ... 4 8 



Kun ... ... ... ... ... 2 



The relative efficacy of the different nets can be gauged to some 

 extent by the licence paid for their use. I am not sure that all of them 

 are used actually in the lake, for the revenue statistics from which my 

 information is drawn apply to the whole of the State of Yawnghwe 

 and the names given me by the fishermen do not agree with those in 

 the official fist. 



The Carp net and the barbel net are drift-nets of very ordinary 

 structure. That used for the Carp is made of fine silk (imported over- 

 land from China) of considerable length but only about \\ feet deep ; 

 the mesh is 24 mm. across. There are small floats of some very light 

 wood fastened to a double string that runs along the top. They are 

 flattened cylinders about 8 mm. long, and are fastened at intervals 

 of about 15 cm. Along the bottom of the net there are small leaden 

 weights consisting of thin plates about 7 cm. long bent round another 

 double string and hammered tight. When not in use the net is 

 festooned on a bamboo. The net for barbel is precisely similar in 

 construction, but is made of cotton and has a slightly smaller mesh, 

 about 20 mm. across. I am told that the Ophiocephalus net has a 

 considerably larger mesh. All these are used most commonly in 

 connection with floating islands, which are towed out into the middle 

 of the lake and there anchored. The fish take shelter under them, 

 and the nets are drawn round them, or along one side. 



The weed-trawl (pi. V, fig. 2) is a much more characteristic net. It 

 has a triangular or almost triangular frame of variable size, but at 

 least 5 feet long. The frame is made of two bamboos bent into an 



