I08 SECTION A. GENERAL ZOOLOGY. 



the deep-sea Holothurians in which I myself have recently been 

 dabbling, I may say there are about nine species, some being new, 

 others already reported by the Challenger either from these seas or 

 from remote seas like the Antarctic. 



We are as yet unprovided with a steamer, and how in its absence 

 we carry on our operations in these seas you may be interested to 

 hear. The fishermen of Misaki are famous for their boldness and 

 skill, and we utilise these qualities to the full. In addition to the 

 surface fishes they catch bottom fishes to the depth of 300 — 400 

 fathoms. This they do by means of long lines. Those used in the 

 shallower parts are very slender, but others used in deeper parts, 

 mostly for the purpose of catching the fish Bathyrissa, are somewhat 

 stouter. The latter are the more useful for our purpose, and as my 

 colleague, Prof Ijima', has already described in full this mode 

 of fishing and its importance for the collector, I need not go into 

 details. Suffice it to say that, like all long lines, it is a line having 

 at certain intervals (in this case at every fathom) short branch- 

 lines (snoods) with hooks at their ends. This is let down with 

 weights to the bottom. The lines are kept coiled in baskets, each 

 holding 100 fathoms. These can be spliced together to any required 

 length. When therefore we say we have let down fifteen baskets, 

 it means that we have laid on the bottom of the sea a long line of 

 1,500 fathoms, with 1,500 hooks. If this line is moved by any 

 means, it means that 1,500 hooks are dragging the bottom of the 

 sea. As each hook is baited, it is eminently adapted for catching 

 fish or any other animals which seek prey, and is also adapted for 

 hooking organisms fixed to the bottom. Fish that are caught help 

 us by their struggling, thereby entangling fixed forms. It is one 

 of the most interesting and exciting sights to watch this line being 

 hauled up, for in successful parts one can see fishes and other animals 

 coming up to the boat in a vertical procession, each keeping a 

 distance of one fathom from the one before and behind it. 



The arrangements and instruments used by these fishermen are 

 all of the simplest kind, but sometimes very ingenious. Here I 

 have brought this apparatus for sounding. Though it looks rather 

 rough and unpromising it is very ingenious, and the principle that 

 underlies it is the same as that of the most modern and improved 

 sounding machines. It is a small stone tied with four lines. When 

 about to be used, large stones are piled on the small one between 

 the four lines, and are barely kept in their place by the little ring of 

 twine. The whole is let down as rapidly as possible by a fine but 

 very strong line, specially made for the purpose. When the instru- 

 ment strikes the bottom the large stones fall off. The bamboo stick 

 on the top keeps the line from revolving and thus untwisting. 

 Soundings to 300 — 400 fathoms can be made quite accurately with 

 this. Members of our Zoological Institute have recently had a 



^ The Zoological Magazine. 



