212 ON THE ECONOMICAL USES OF FISHES. 



by them in their avocation. Small boats and rafts 

 of a peculiar kind are used in this kind of fishing, 

 and each man, so employed, is the owner of about a 

 dozen of the birds in question. On a given signal, 

 the birds, which have often a ring fastened loosely 

 round the neck to prevent their swallowing their 

 prey, plunge into the water and seize any fish they 

 are able to master, bringing it to the top, where 

 the fisherman is in waiting to receive the produce of 

 their industry. If the fish be very large, and too 

 much for a single bird to manage, one of his fellows 

 is sure to come to his assistance. 



The Chinese sometimes secure large fish by shoot- 

 ing them with arrows, having a string attached. 

 But, perhaps, the most curious trait of the Chinese 

 fishermen, is their singular practice of hatching the 

 eggs of fish under fowls ! This, however incredible 

 it may seem, is nevertheless well authenticated. 



As it would be unnecessary to indicate the dif- 

 ferent species used in China as food, on account of 

 their number, we shall merely refer our readers who 

 wish for information on this subject, to a volume 

 on China in the Edinburgh Cabinet Library, and 

 conclude by stating, that a great proportion of the 

 population of that densely peopled country, live prin- 

 cipally upon fish. 



The natives of the innumerable islands with which 

 the Indian and Pacific oceans are studded, have 

 been noted, ever since their discovery by Europeans, 

 for the skill and dexterity displayed by them in 

 fishing, and many of their instruments, however 



