HALF AN HOUR WITH PREPARATIONS. 33 



what is called a " cob," or end of the bag of the net, 

 in which there is a large opening through which the 

 contents of the net can be taken out. Supposing the 

 above to be a prawn trawl, then it will be about seven 

 feet wide at the mouth, and about fifteen feet in length. 

 The " head " has two heavy iron plates, not much un- 

 like the runners of sledges. These support the beam, 

 and skid along the bottom. The lower part of the net 

 is fastened to what is called the " ground rope," which 

 is always a couple of feet behind the upper part, so 

 that when the fish rise, being alarmed by its sweeping 

 over where they lie, they are stopped by the upper 

 part, and then swept into the body of the net by the 

 speed at which the boat is sailing. It follows, there- 

 fore, that all moving living things lying on the sea 

 bottom will be introduced into the net, so that its zoo- 

 logical contents are often of a very varied description. 

 Our intending sea-side student is now in as full 

 possession of the necessary " preparations " as, if 

 applied, cannot fail to result in a harvest of objects 

 it will- take him weeks to study. We wish him 

 health, feeling certain he will find pleasure for him- 

 self. All the better for him if he can find a friendly 

 spirit for a companion, one who can enter into the 

 necessary interest of the objects sought after. Alas ! 

 the time will fly away only too soon, and the much- 

 looked for holiday be over, almost before you seem 

 to have begun it. But you will have gained bodily 

 and intellectually, and return home a better and a 

 wiser man than when you left. 



D 



