SCOMBEEIDJi:. 191 



paratus of cork and netted twine was shot silently into 

 the deep. The crew, having thus disposed of its snare, 

 pulled quickly to one side, but on reaching the rear of the 

 shoal, began forthwith to roar and beUow ; at the same 

 time belabouring the water with blows, and lashing up 

 the brine with poles, oars, and boat-hooks ; the thunny, 

 scared by the flashing of phosphorescent light and the 

 pother overhead, would instantly break their ranks, and 

 rushing away from the tumult in the direction of the nets, 

 hastily entered its open recesses as into a sure asylum, but 

 was prevented from leaving them afterwards by the inces- 

 sant noise and flapping of the hauling-cords attached to 

 each angle of the nets. As the boats approached the shore, 

 the men paused ere they ended their labours, to offer up 

 a petition to the marine deities, whom they were robbing 

 of so much live-stock, that they would be propitious to 

 the undertaking, and keep out of the enclosure any trea- 

 cherous dolphin or mischievous sword-fish that might be 

 prowing about with evil designs upon the nets ; after 

 these preliminary invocations (which mutatis mutandis 

 are stUl offered up by Neapolitan and Silician fishermen 

 to the Virgin and the Saints,) the dictymum was dragged 

 on shore, and, in answer to the prayer, generally full of 

 fine fish. 



^lian gives full particulars of a plan for securing a 

 large number out of those shoals of thunny, which in early 

 spring arrive off different coasts. ' Some time before they 

 make their appearance, the men collect together at va- 

 rious OwvoaKOTTeia, or thunneries, (Strabo gives Papulo- 

 nium or Piombino, Porte Ercole in Etruria, and Cape 

 Ammon on the African coast, as posts of the greatest 

 importance,) elect the most experienced of their number 

 to the ofiB.ce of thynnoscopus, or thunny overseer, con- 

 struct him a watch-tower, or, if there be a projectiag 

 rock commanding a good sea-view, place him there, to 



