252 MODES OF FISHING FOR PILCHARDS. 



in large bodies, traversing in succession the coasts of 

 Cornwall. 



The fishery for pilchards is carried on by drift- 

 er driving-nets, and by scans. The modes of using 

 both these kinds of nets has been already noticed. 

 Drift-nets are shot across the tide, and across the 

 course of the shoal of fish ; and the heads of the 

 fish in drift-nets so shot are all in one and the 

 same direction, unless the tide has turned while the 

 nets were afloat. When the sean is used, another 

 net, called a stop-net, which is about half the length 

 of the sean, is carried in another boat. As soon 

 as the seaners begin shooting their net, the crew of 

 the smaller boat at once throw out their stop-net 

 in a contrary direction, and thus complete the circle 

 around the shoal of fish in much less time than if one 

 net only was employed. It is very usual to shoot 

 two, and in some cases three stop-nets. The number 

 of pilchards occasionally taken is enormous. When 

 the fishermen find their nets covered with sea-lice 

 (Entomostraca), they always expect large catches. Of 

 these minute thin-skinned crustaceans, scarcely equal 

 in size to a flea, Mr. Couch has found the stomach of 

 a pilchard crammed, perhaps containing many thou- 

 sands; they feed also on the ova and small fry of other 

 fishes. Mr. Couch states also that a gentleman, who 

 resided several years at Croisie, in France, informed 

 him that it is the custom of French fishermen to 

 scatter the salted roe of fish about their nets in order 

 to attract the pilchard; and that he has seen this 

 spawn in the stomachs of the fish thus caught. 



