American Fisheries Society. 127 
and then chopped fine by hand; and the wet, chopped pieces are 
spread on small bamboo mats and pressed by hand into thin 
sheets, the mats being placed on inclined frames in the open air. 
When drying is complete, the sheets are stripped from the mats, 
piled and pressed, and tied into small bundles for market. This 
product has numerous culinary uses, and is found in every Jap- 
anese kitchen. 
Reference has already been made to the importance of the 
amber-fish, or yellow-tail. Along the southern shores of Shikoku, 

ONE OF THE BOATS IN THE YELLOW-TAIL FISHERY. 
one of the five main islands, the taking of yellow-tails is the 
chief fishery, requiring a large outlay of capital and employing 
many men. ‘The apparatus used is a huge bag net, with long 
straight wings. When a school of fish has entered the net, the 
boats close in, the fish are driven into the bag, and are finally 
pocketed. I believe I am safe in saying that the yellow-tail nets 
are larger than any other set-nets in the world and require the 
services of more men. Each net is tended by 25 or 30 boats, in- 
cluding a look-out boat with an elevated perch; and 150 to 200 
