ON THE GENUS FLOUNDER. 5«l 



in their sandy pastures ; they find food in the 

 various species of worms and shell fish, with 

 which the sands abound ; and there also, by 

 their superior activity, they are able to evade 

 the pursuit of many voracious enemies. 



Most of the species take the bait freely ; the 

 hook* is therefore a common mode of capture, 

 especially for the larger Turbots, Brills, and 

 Plaise ; but generally for every species of flat 

 fish the great supply is derived from the Trawl 

 net. The annexed engraving will give to those, 

 who are unacquainted with it, some idea of this 

 very productive engine. 



A. the beam is of elm, 25 feet long and four 

 inches square ; to this the upper part of the net 

 is attached, the lower part to the ground line 

 B. The beam is supported by two brackets or 

 sledges two and half feet high. The distance 

 from the beam to the end of the cod is about 

 seventy-five feet. The bottom part of the net 

 is made with what is called mackarel twine, the 



* The line in use upon the Cornish coast is called a bolter, it 

 is from sixty to eighty fathoms long, the hooks are fixed on short 

 lateral lines, which are attached to the main line at the intervals 

 of a fathom between each ; the line in use upon the Dutch 

 coast, called the long line, extends to the great length of seven or 

 eight miles, and is furnished, as the bolter is, with lateral lines and 

 hooks. The usual baits for flat fish are pieces of herrings, pil- 

 chards, smelts (fresh and salt), sand worms, mussels, &c. 



