20 BRITISH INDUSTRIES. 



as a good deal of wind is necessary for towing the 

 trawl-net over the ground, its most effective work is done 

 during the winter, when the weather is often unsuit- 

 able for other kinds of deep-sea fishing. The name of 

 the net is evidently derived from the manner in which 

 it is worked, rather than from any peculiarity in the 

 net itself ; the trawl, such as I am now speaking of, 

 is a flattened bag-net, commonly about 100 feet long, 

 or perhaps rather more, and it is towed, trailed, or 

 trawled along the bottom in such a manner, as to catch 

 those fish especially which naturally keep close to or 

 upon the ground. 



It is very desirable that the name " trawl " should 

 be restricted to the net now under notice ; as this mode 

 of fishing is everywhere, except in Scotland, or most 

 parts of it, known by the name of "trawling." In 

 many parts of Scotland, however, the sean, used par- 

 ticularly for catching herrings, and thrown out or 

 "shot" in a semicircle, is also called a "trawl," 

 because, we may suppose, the two ends of the net are 

 dragged or trailed towards some place either on shore 

 or to an anchored boat, until the whole net is gathered 

 in. Much confusion has arisen among the numerous 

 persons who have written on the sea fisheries, owing 

 to the different applications of the term " trawl " ; it 

 is therefore important to remember that the herring 

 jjrawl in Scotland is nothing more than the net which 

 is universally known in England as the sean, which 

 will be hereafter described ; and that the true trawl, 

 or " beam-trawl," as it is very frequently called, is a 

 flattened bag-net towed over the ground, for the most 



