86 



NATURE S TEACHINGS. 



of the net is furnished with a series of cork bungs, which 

 maintain it on the surface, while the lower edge has a corre- 

 sponding set of weights, which keep the net extended like a 

 wall of meshes. Any fish which come against this wall are, of 

 course, arrested, and are generally caught by the gill-covers in 

 their vain attempts to force themselves through the meshes. 



We may see representations of fishing with the seine-net in 

 the sculptures and paintings of Egypt and Assyria ; and in 

 the Berlin Museum there is a part of an Egyptian seine-net 

 with the leads still upon the lower edge, and the upper edge 

 bearing a number of large pieces of wood, which acted as 

 buoys, and served the same purpose as our corks. 



In hunting, this plan has been adopted for many centuries, 

 the upper edge of the net being supported on poles, and the 

 lower fastened to the ground in such a manner as to leave the 

 net hanging in loose folds. While this part of the business 



SP1DER-AVEB. 



HUNTING-NET. 



THE SEINE-NET. 



is being completed by the servants, the hunters are forming 

 a large semicircle, in which they enclose a number of wild 

 beasts, which they drive into the nets or " toils" by gradually 

 contracting the semicircle. The ancient sculptures give us 

 accounts of nets used in exactly this manner. There are 

 represented the nets rolled up ready for use, and being carried 

 on the shoulders of several attendants, who are bearing them 

 to the field. Then there are the nets set up on their poles, 

 and having enclosed within them a number of wild animals, 

 such as boars and deer. 



In various parts of India, hunting with the net is one of the 



