THE BEAM-TRAWL. 259 



in use. As soon, however, as the net is hoisted in, the 

 draw-rope is cast off, and the fish fall out on the deck of 

 the vessel. The under part of this purse is exposed to a 

 good deal of wear from the weight of fish and sometimes 

 stones collected within it, and to protect it as much as 

 possible, layers of netting, called "rubbing-pieces," are 

 laced across it, one layer slightly overlapping the next one. 

 In French trawls a stout hide is frequently fastened under 

 this part of the net for the same purpose. Such is the 

 main construction of the trawl as seen from the outside ; 

 but we have still to notice certain arrangements within the 

 net by which any fish which have once made their way into 

 the cod or purse at the end are prevented from returning 

 and making their escape. 



The net has been described as tapering away from the 

 mouth until the purse is reached, and it is at the junction 

 of the purse with the main body of the net that by a 

 very simple arrangement two pockets open, into which the 

 fish make their way and often become closely packed. 

 The pockets are made by simply lacing together parts of 

 the upper and under portions of the main body of the net, 

 beginning close to the purse, at about one third of the 

 distance across, and running up towards the outer margin, 

 gradually tapering away to a point for a length of about 

 sixteen feet backwards from the purse. They are there- 

 fore within the outer edge of the net, and their mouths 

 open into and face the purse. The mouths of the pockets 

 occupy one-third each of the breadth of the net at that 

 part, and the intermediate third is the passage by which 

 all the fish enter the purse from the main body of the net. 

 Over this opening hangs a curtain of netting called the 

 " flapper," which gives way before any fish pushing through 



into the purse, but then falls back so as to prevent its 



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