THE ANI.MAL LIFE OF THE GROUP. 341 



of fine net l)i'()ii>i'ht together in a cii-cnlai' form. When advisable tlic lisli ilius 

 cauyht might be left in the seine ti'aj) in tlie Avater for several days. Cer1;iiii 

 species of fish lliat run in school, as the akulc i-aii l)c srcii a considci-iililr 

 distance at sea. It is the practice among native hshermen to post one of 

 their nnmber on the land at an elevation from ^vhi('ll tlicir praftiecd eyes can 

 locate the school of fish as it api)r()ach('s the siion-. hi dii-cciiiiL; the opera- 

 tions of the fishermen from the shore, tlic hxtUoul uses a white Mag and 

 observes considerable snperstitious ceremon^\' in liis work. 



Several forms of bag nets have been employed l)y tlie ITawaiians, some 

 of them more than two hnndred fathoms in lengtli. 'I'lie usually have de- 

 tachable bags in the middle often thirty feet long l)y lialf as many feet in 

 width. These were used in w^ater f-wenty feet or more in (lejitli. The 

 opelu or bag nets are commonly about a dozen feet across 1)\ three times 

 as deep, and have a hoop fastened in the moutli to kee]) tiio net open. In use 

 they are baited and lowered, and then at the pi-opei- moment ra|)i(lly liauh-il 

 in. Several ingenious nets are used in capturing various si)ecies of hsh — the 

 upena hehu, upena pua, kapuni nehn. upena ulm and the npena i)oo being 

 important among them. 



Several forms of dip nets w-ere also devised by the Ilawaiians. One was 

 formed by tying two slender parallel sticks to a fine net about five feet apart. 

 By running a string through the louver end and shirring it through the net. 

 a rude bag was formed that was used in shallow water and foi- tisiiiuL; in 

 rough, stony jjlaces. 



The Hawaiians seem to have used ])nt few fish l)askets. the two kinds used 

 in catching the shrimp ^ being the most important forms. 



Several species of fish were taken in fish-traps or pens. The group of 

 shark pens removed from Pearl Harbor when the channel was dredged Avere 

 among the best examples in the islands. They were so arranged that the fish, 

 which enter them freely at high water, are caught as the watei- recedes, by 

 means of a small seine. 



Fish spearing was an art with the okl Hawaiians, and tiicy Avei'c very 

 adept in the use of the weapon, which consisted usually of a long hard- 

 wood pole six or eight feet in length, ending in ancient times with one or two 

 sharp wooden prongs, but in modern times, with a thin i-od of iron, a loot or so 

 in length, that is slightly barbed at the tip. Tliis inipleuient was only used in 

 shallow water about the reef, where it might be employed in si)eai'im: sipnd. 

 turtles, and other slow-moving surface-swimming forms. In the hands n[' an 

 expert diver, however-, it might be can-ied down into the walei' se\-ei'al feet and 

 used with effect in caves and lioles about the reef. 



Fish Poison. 



The natives were expert in making and using a eet-tain lish poison known 

 as holahola. A -poisonous Aveed - Avhich grows on the mountainside was eol- 



Opae. - Ahuhu. 



