BAITS AND BAIT-CATCHING. 49 



'Just like a man who throws his casting- net into a fish 

 pond ; when the net sinks to the bottom he contracts his folds, 

 and when he has made his throw he takes care that the fish do 

 not escape, whilst the net entangles them in all directions in its 

 meshes till he land them safely ; so is the lover.' 



From this passage it is pretty clear that the jaculum, like 

 the d/A^iySAijp-Tjooi', must have been nearly identical in form and 

 manner of use with our own casting-net. 



The landing-net was also employed by the ancient fisher- 

 men, its Greek name (yiroyj]) sufificiently explains its use ; it 

 was provided with a hoop at the top, and fastened to a pole or 

 rod. The material of which nets were made was flax {linum\ 

 hence that term is employed to denote a net — 



Pelagoque alius trahit humida lina. 



(VlRG. Gear. I. 142.) 



but hemp was also sometimes employed. 



In private waters a small meshed sweep or seine net may 

 often be used to the economy of time. On public waters, how- 

 ever, this sort "of net, which is quite as apt to catch big fish as 

 little ones, would, of course, be out of the question. I shall 

 never forget a comical incident which happened to my friend,' 

 Frank Buckland, when we were once catching baits together in 

 this way in water belonging to Sir Edward Hulse. I must tell 

 the story, however, in his own words : 



' The keeper and I got the net out— and a famous big net 

 jt was — and, theh, making a sweep, we surrounded the pool, 

 letting it out from the stern of the boat as we punted along. 

 The keeper then put on his waterproof boots, as we had to 

 .wade the rest of the way. I got out into the water just as I 

 was, with him, and we both hauled away at the rope. Wheii 

 we were about half through . the distance, and the keeper was 

 hauling the rope towards him, and I had got it over my shoulder; 

 both pulling might and main in opposite directions, the rope 

 broke off short in the middle. The keeper went flat dowrt 

 on his back in about three feet of water, and disappeared 



