400 Mciiioii's Bcniicc P. DisJiop Museum 



The only large nets used in modern times arc long seines woven from 

 commercial cotton cord with needles and spacers of ordinary European form. 

 Small circular hoop nets and flying fish nets are also made from cotton cord of 



FiGL'KK II. — Drawintr of knot used in fish nets. 



'b 



oven 



s net 



arsre 



finer grade. A netting needle, similar to that used in Hawaii, is used to make 

 these nets. The work is begun at the top and the envelope is held open, as the 

 work progresses, by pointed strips of bamboo. 



The natives of Pua Ma"u, Hiva Oa describe ten varieties of net formerly 

 made and used, as follows : 



(1) Timana: .\ circular bag net about three feet deep and two feet in diameter \vi 

 of either fan bark or coconut fiber. Three ropes were attached tn the ujiper edge of this 

 at equal intervals, and were woven together into a single strand above its center. .\ 1 

 stone was placed in the bottom as a sinker, and the skin of a squid was attached to the junc- 

 ture of the ropes as bait. The net was allowed to he on the bottom for some time, and was 

 then pulled up, the pull of the ropes closing the net and imprisoning any fish within it. 



(2) Maa: A small dip net with a wooden hoop and pole, usually made of pineapple 

 fiber. 



(3) Ho'ohe to'o: Same as maa, except for the size of the net. Ho'ohc is the name 

 of a small fish. 



(4) Pafio: Same as the ho'ohc to'o, but of larger mesh and heavier material. This 

 was used to catch crabs on the rocks. 



(5) Pafio Mao'o: Net used for flying fish. There is some doubt whether this form is 

 aboriginal, its iiUroduction is ascribed by some to early Hawaiian missionaries and by others to 

 certain Gilbert Island fishermen who at one time lived in the Marquesas. The modern flying 

 fish net consists of a small bag net woven between the prongs of a forked stick, the outer edge 

 being held taut by the tension of the sticks. Fork and net are attached to the end of a pole 10 

 to 15 feet in length. This form of net is used only in night fishing from canoes. .\ large torch 

 is set up in the canoe and the flying fish, attracted by the light, rise to the surface and lie 

 there. The net is slapped down over the fish, which jump upward and become entangled in 

 it. The man using the net stands up, and as the native fishing canoes are extremely narrow 

 and unsteady it is an exciting sport. 



(0) Pafio ihe; .\ net identical with the flying fish net except for its smaller size. It 

 is used for ihc. a variety of small fish. 



(7) A special net was used in the Island of Ua Pou for catching parrot fish. The 

 name of this net had been forgotten. It is said to have been about three feet square. The 

 top was held open by crossed sticks. To the juncture of these sticks a live parrot fish was 

 tethered by the gill. The net was then towed along the rocks where parrot fish were plentiful. 

 According to the natives, each parrot fish has a special area from which it feeds, driving ofif 

 invaders of the same species, and as soon as the tethered fish entered such a private domain the 

 owner came out and attacked it. The net was then drawn up. 



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