118 GLAUCUS ; OR, 



" But the naturalists' dredge is an improve- 

 ment upon this form ; the oyster-dredge, with all 

 the care employed in heaving, will frequently 

 turn over in sinking, so that the unlipped side of 

 the frame which will not scrape is on the ground. 

 Hence we have each of the two long sides of the 

 mouth made into a scraping-lip, so that the in- 

 strument cannot fall wrong. Instead of rings 

 our body is made of spun-yarn (a sort of small 

 rope) or fishing-line, netted with a small mesh ; 

 or, which is still better, of a raw hide, (such as 

 those which the tobacconists receive from South 

 America inclosing tobacco, the hides of the wild 

 cattle of the Pampas,) cut into thongs, and 

 netted in like manner. Sometimes the bag is 

 made of coarse sackcloth, or of canvas, but the 

 former soon wears out, and the latter is not suf- 

 ficiently pervious to water; an important point, 

 for if there be not a free current through the 

 bag, while on the bottom, it embraces nothing, 

 merely driving everything before it, and com- 

 ing up empty. The hide-net is almost inde- 

 structible. 



" To the two ends, or short sides of the frame, 

 which forms an oblong square, are attached by a 

 hinge two long triangles, which, meeting in front 



