70 SEA-FISH. 
discrimination and common sense, a very silly cus- 
tom indeed. Whiting, for instance, and pollack are 
often despatched in this way in the height of summer 
from watering-places a hundred miles or more from 
the metropolis ; the recipients have perhaps to pay 
considerable carriage on them, even if they have 
been nominally freighted to the door, and they arrive 
in a condition that even offends the cat. In point 
of fact, it would have been difficult to select 
two fish less likely to bear the journey, though 
mackerel and sole would have been nearly as hope- 
less. If fish must be sent in this manner, let them 
at any rate be such as have a chance of reaching 
their destination in an eatable state—plaice, floun- 
der, codling or dab. Let them be cleaned and 
rubbed with salt, and each fish done up in dry 
weed in a separate straw bag of the kind mentioned 
above ; and, above all, let them be despatched with 
due regard for the time of arrival, so that they may 
not pass the night in the station. Flat fish are 
able to survive removal from the water by some 
hours if kept moist and cool ; and it has been found 
possible to get them alive from Southend to 
Fenchurch Street by keeping them in wet seaweed, 
the hamper lying in the shade under the seat. 
The next article that occurs to me is the gaff, 
which, as their function is identical, we may 
Gaffand COMsider together with the landing-net. 
landing- Here, again, the patterns are various, 
net being indeed of less significance than the 
length of the handle, which should vary according 
to circumstances. Jor boat-fishing, for example, I 
prefer a handle of not more than 3 ft. in length, 
whereas for mackerel or mullet from piers and 
