590 MISCELLANEOUS 



presently to be described, as much confusion has been caused by the 

 practice, general in Scotland (which has misled even such writers as 

 Mr. Couch, see Fishes of the British Islands, iv. 105), of applying 

 the name to that very different kind of net which has for centuries 

 past been almost universally known as the " sean," " seine," or 

 " seyne," and may be traced back through the Saxon segne to the 

 Latin segena, a sweep-net. In the United States and Canada, the 

 word " trawl " is still more misapplied, being given to what is in 

 England commonly called the long line or bulter. 



The beam trawl may be simply described as a triangular, flat, 

 purse-shaped net with the mouth extended by a horizontal wooden 

 beam, which is raised a short distance from the ground by means 

 of two iron frames or heads, one at each end, the upper part of the 

 mouth being fastened to the beam, and the under portion dragging 

 on the ground as the net is towed over the bottom. The beam of course 

 varies in length according to the size of the net, and depends to some 

 extent also on the length and power of the vessel which has to work 

 it. In the large " smacks", as the trawl-boats have long been called, 

 the beam ranges from 36 to 50 feet in length; and there is rarely 

 anything less than this now used by the deep-sea trawlers. Elm is 

 generally preferred for it, selected if possible from timber grown 

 just of the proper thickness, that the natural strength of the wood may 

 not be lessened by more trimming or chipping than is absolutely 

 necessary. If the required length and thickness cannot be obtained 

 in one piece, two or even three pieces are scarfed together, and 

 the joints secured by iron bands. When the trawl is being hoisted 

 in, the first part of the apparatus taken on board is the large heavy 

 beam, and this is very commonly done when the vessel is rolling and 

 pitching about in a seaway. It is therefore necessary for the sake 

 of safety that the beam should be secured as soon as possible, and in 

 such a position as to be out of the way and at the same time con- 

 veniently placed for lowering again when required. All this may 

 be easily effected by having the beam of such a length in proportion 

 to the size of the vessel that when hoisted up, one end of it may 

 come over the taffrail, with the iron head just clear outside, and the 

 fore end in front of one of the shrouds. It then lies on the gunwale 

 of the vessel, and the ends are secured by ropes, the forerigging pre- 

 venting that end of the beam coming on board, but the iron head 

 passing in between the shrouds. The object or use of the beam is 

 to extend the mouth of the net; but, in order to allow room for the 

 fish to enter, the beam, and with it the back of the net which is 

 laced to it, must be raised a certain distance from the ground. 

 For this purpose the beam is fastened at each end to the top of an 

 iron frame, shaped somewhat like an irregularly formed stirrup, 

 which is fitted to it at right angles by a square socket at the top. 

 By these " heads or irons " the beam is supported at a height of nearly 

 3 feet from the ground, and contrary to the popular idea on the 

 subject, never touches the bottom. It could only do so if the trawl 

 were to reach the ground with its back undermost, and then the 

 mouth of the net would close and no fish could enter. The lower 

 part of the trawl-head or iron is straight and flat, just like the 

 corresponding part of a stirrup. It is called the " shoe ", and is the 

 part which slides over the ground as the trawl-beam and following 

 net are towed along. There is a slight variation in the form of the 



