8 
dragging ; he counts up the grand total of individuals 
destroyed by such a proceeding, and then reflects on the 
enormous quantity represented by the wholesale destruc- 
tion of so oft repeated a system among all maritime nations, 
and then arrives at his conclusion as to the part man plays 
in the depletion of fisheries, and if he knows too that the 
shallow bottoms in proximity to the shore are the necessary 
spawning places of many species, he can entertain no doubt 
that the present methods of fishing are disastrous. 
Not being able to entertain any principle not sanctioned 
by practice, let us next examine what in their essentials are 
these fishing utensils used in different numbers and slight 
variations of detail in nearly every country. They consist 
of two bands of net, with a bag or sack of the same 
material but of much closer texture, the borders or lower 
ropes of the sack being provided with leads throughout 
their length, to insure the sinking of the net, and on the 
upper ropes are attached cork or other material of a 
lighter specific gravity than water to cause them to float, by 
this means keeping the nets vertical and the mouth of the 
sack open. The net thus reaches the bottom of the sea, 
and at the extremity of both bands there are attached 
two cords, generally of great length, by which the apparatus 
is dragged on shore by one or two boats, according to the 
class to which it belongs. 
Hence it will be seen that these nets can only be used 
on flat bottoms without stones or other obstacles to catch 
them. The net in its passage roots up the vegetation 
which grows in such places and hauls them to the surface 
or on shore ; these are found entangled in the net in great 
quantities, and with them during the spawning season of 
those species which spawn along the shore one encounters 
among the seaweed multitudes of eggs more or less 
