1898] THE GREY MULLET FISHERY IN JAPAN 257 
sandy shore of a bay. The two bamboo sticks are held by two men 
wading in the water, or by two boats. Thus the net is expanded 
between them, special care being taken not to leave an open space 
between the lower margin of the net and the ground. The net is 
held obliquely against current. While the net is thus prepared, two 
boats row swiftly and drive fish towards the net by means of a long 
Inies J5y, 
scare-cord held between them. When the cord touches the net, the 
latter is quickly raised out of water to bail out the fish. The scare- 
cord is made of hemp, and is about 900 ft. in length. It is provided 
with numerous thin, small, rectangular pieces of wood (ea. 1 ft. by 
2 ins.). They are slightly curved, and make a noise, and disturb 
the surface of the water very much when they are drawn quickly. 
The stop net.—This is chiefly used in harbours to stop escape 
of fish, either by encircling a shoal of fish, or by closing the mouth 
of the harbour. This is generally accomplished with set-nets or 
gill-nets. For the benefit of this fishery, a certain district is closed 
Fic. 6. 
to fishermen, and sometimes even to the anchorage of boats, during 
a certain season. To allure fish to such a place, bran and mud are 
mixed together and made into balls, which are distributed over the 
ground. 
The drift line (fig. 6).—This is used from a boat in a brackish 
lake. The line is made of hairs from horse tails, twisted together 
