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ceptible to the fishes in the turbid tide waters. When 

 later in the season the water becomes clear, greater ex- 

 ecution is done by fishing at night. The mesh was for- 

 merly six and one-fourth inches, it is now reduced to 

 five and even less, sufficiently large, however, to admit 

 of the shad getting its head so far through the mesh that 

 it is fastened by the gills, hence the term gill net, but 

 so small as to take fish that should not be marketed. 



These gill nets have both a lead and a cork line,by which 

 they are held in a vertical position as they drift with the 

 current. With the treble view of the economy of mate- 

 rial, the prevention of injury by vessels of light draught 

 in passing over them, and to enable the same net to be 

 used with lacility in either deep or shoal water, the upper 

 margin of the net is supported by long and slender cords 

 ot from five to seven feet in length, to the free ends ot 

 which corks or wooden floats are attached. The net 

 thus constructed is laid upon the stern of the skiff, one 

 or two men, according to its size, row the boat across the 

 current, while another standing on the stern carefully 

 casts the net into the water. This done, it is suffered to 

 drift with the tide, direction being given it by the boat 

 to which the end remains attached. After the net has 

 drifted a sufficient length of time, the fishes are removed 

 from it, either by under-running it or by replacing it upon 

 the stem of the boat, again to be cast into the water. 



No nets should be used except in the ocean, the large 

 rivers and lake8,and even then the mesh should be limited 

 as to size, but as it is doubtful whether the community 

 is ready tor so sweeping a law, necessary as it is ; the most 

 injurious, which are the pound nets, should be everwhere 

 prohibited. These are so f^tal, that they should not be 

 allowed anywhere unless it be in the ocean. We do not 



