i go THE FLOATING ANIMALS 



minutes' haul is generally enough ; after this the net 

 should be hauled in very gradually, otherwise the 

 pressure of the inside water against the meshes damages 

 the more delicate animals terribly. 



Nets of the above pattern can be conveniently 

 worked down to ioo fathoms when out of soundings ; 

 and so far as the present writer's experience goes, far 

 more animals and far more kinds of animals will be 

 captured at 50, 75, or 100 fathoms than at the actual 

 surface. For this work are required a little hand- 

 winch of the simplest kind, and rather more than 

 100 fathoms of flexible wire sash-line (such as is used 

 for heavy windows), to the end of which a 20-pound 

 lead is attached (soft copper sash-line, |- inch circum- 

 ference, breaking strain about 200 pounds, price about 

 36s., but see also the lines given on pp. 277, 278 under 

 Yacht Equipment). Put an eye in the free end of the 

 wire to carry the lead, and taking this as 100 fathoms, 

 mark off backwards 75, 50, 25, and o fathoms, as being 

 recognized depths for study. The nets can be then 

 stropped on to the wire at any of the depths required, 

 but not more than two should be used at a time. 



If it is impracticable to fix up a winch and work at 

 these depths, still observations should not be confined 

 to the comparatively barren surface. To the ordinary 

 20 fathoms of tow rope fix a 10-pound lead ; attach 

 the nets well above the lead, and tow at 5, 10, or 15 

 fathoms below the surface if the water allows of it ; 

 if not, tow about a half fathom above the bottom. 



As soon as it arrives on board, the contents of the 

 tin should be emptied, with plenty of extra water, into 

 a big glass bottle — a wide-mouth pickle-jar or sweet- 

 jar is excellent. The larger animals can be picked 

 out with a lifter (an old tablespoon, the bowl bent at 

 right angles to the shank, serves the turn) . For those 



