225 



REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF 



the amount of material to be required, and went to Cortland to select wire netting. 

 The first order of Wickwire Brothers was for $37.50 worth of galvanized woven wire, 

 part of which was of one-half inch square mesh, and part was of one-fourth inch 

 square mesh. A small house was purchased for $5, and moved to the site of the weir. 

 This was used for storage rooms and watchmen's cabin. It was decided to make the 

 weir somewhat after the principle of a combined pound net and fyke, with the wings 



meeting like the sides of the letter "V," with 

 the apex up stream and at the middle of the 

 channel, where the box, trap, or pound was 

 placed. The box was made of woven wire 

 of one-fourth inch square mesh, and was sewed 

 together with copper wire. A bottom of wire 

 netting was also sewed in it, and care was 

 taken to close all holes. The only opening in 

 the box, besides the top, which was left un- 

 covered, was at the lower side, where the ends 

 of the wings were inserted into it. The pound 

 was held in its place in the stream by means 

 of long sections of iron pipe, put through iron 

 rings, fastened to its corners and driven firmly 

 into the ground. An elevated board walk, 

 placed on stakes, was built around the pound, 

 and also along the place for the wings. The 

 lower tier of the wings was made of one- 

 fourth inch mesh wire netting, and the upper 

 tier was of half-inch mesh. They were 

 fastened to the bottom with a horizontal sheet 

 of wire and timbers covered with sand, and 



LAMPREY WEIR. ' 



a.— wings of wire netting, b.— Wife trap or pound, they were kept in place by iron pipes driven 



c. — Iron pines for posts, d. — Board walk over . . 



water. <?.— Banks of stream. /-Posts to catch upright in the sand through rings fastened to 



drift Arrow indicates direction of current. . , , \ • i T 



their lower (down stream) sides. In this way, 

 any creature running against the current would find itself directed toward the 

 center of the stream by the wings, and finally up into the trap or pound. With 

 a large, square-framed net, made to fit the pound, the catch was lifted out at 

 regular periods every morning and evening. At these times the writer regularly 

 visited the weir to determine the important features of the catch. If any reader 

 thinks it was no effort and sacrifice to go up through the low, damp valley three miles 

 every morning at five o'clock and every evening at six, for over two months, he is 



