ON HOOKS. 15 



are bent so that they cannot possibly lie flat, 

 that is to say, the point is kerbed or turned out of 

 the plane of the shank and bend. This renders 

 the hook almost certain to " catch on " when 

 jammed into an angle of the mouth or pressed 

 between the lips, or the tongue and the palate. 

 It must be admitted, however, that there are 

 positions into which the hook may get, where 

 kerbing is in every respect a disadvantage. The 

 second method of exposing the point is simply to 

 turn it away from the shank as much as the 

 satisfaction of other conditions will allow, while 

 keeping it in the same plane with the shank and 

 bend ; and, of course, a part of the wire behind 



FIG. 3. Circumstances are exaggerated in this diagram 

 also ; but it is hoped that it will be successful in con- 

 veying the principles it is intended to illustrate. 



the barb projecting beneath the point is highly 

 detrimental to the latter's exposure. Of this the 

 Dublin Limerick hook is an example. 



QUICKNESS OF PENETRATION. 



If anyone were to hold the point of a hook 

 between his finger and thumb, and desire to push 

 it into, say, a piece of cork, in what direction, 

 with regard to the hook, would he apply a force 

 in order to do this most easily ? Surely in the 

 direction of some line through the extreme point, 

 and lying between the upper and lower surfaces 

 of the wire at the point. It will be noted that, 

 when the proper direction is found, the point 



