of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



399 



Crustaceans. — The destructive fishery of the lobster on the coasts of 

 Galicia, and the excessive exportation by foreign craft, determined the 

 Government to issue regulations and establish viveros (floating). Four 

 floating lobster viveros have already been conceded. 



In January 1881 a decree was issued establishing a close time for 

 fishing crustaceans, and drawing up regulations to be observed. The 

 whole range of edible — and to us absolutely useless — crustaceans are 

 included in these regulations. 



A species of draw-net used in the sardine fishery was the subject of 

 investigation. It is called Encesa (candle), also Boliche de la encega, 

 greatly resembling the destructive Boliche draw-net, for which reason it 

 had been prohibited. A fresh investigation led to the belief that it was 

 not specially injurious where used, as, although a drag-net, 'it was not 

 possible to reach the bottom with the sole rope, however weighted ; that 

 the heavy weights employed kept the meshes apart, and the use of a light 

 in the leading boat kept the fishes on the surface, so that the short depth 

 of the net was not material. The Commission add the recommendation 

 that the use of the light to attract fishes should not be prohibited for 

 legal nets. 



Submarine Light (Faro submarino). — Under this name a new light 

 for attracting fish under water desired recognition from the authorities. 

 'As to the apparatus, it consists of a receiver of glass in the form of a 

 ' truncated cone, protected by circles or wires of iron, in whose interior are 

 * placed five lamps, fed with petroleum. This species of bell is adapted to 

 ' the keel of a small vessel, in such a manner that, receiving the required 

 'air for combustion, the submerged light illumines a considerable area, 

 ' giving an intense and constant light with little fuel. The boat sets out 

 ' and crosses over the ground frequented by the fish, so as to attract their 

 'attention and bring them within range of the light. When they have 

 ' collected a quantity, they steer the vessel towards a floating engine of 

 ' capture, made of nets of large meshes at the entrance, and which go on 

 ' steadily reducing their dimensions until they measure a centimetre in the 

 ' last, or Matador, kept in place by corks and by three anchors, ending in 

 'a trap, and watched over by the Matadero in a small boat.' 



The apparatus was permitted pro tern, as an experiment. 



Sardines. — The value of the sardine fishery of Spain is upwards of 

 £400,000, and there are about 500 factories in connection with it. 



Throughout these Reports there are admirable Piscicultural Biblio- 

 graphies, accounts of the donations to the National Fisheries Museum in 

 Madrid, and numerous investigations of much special interest. The last 

 includes an admirable ' Ichthyology of the Cadiz littoral,' a summary by 

 Don Juan Antonio de Vera y Chilier, with the names of the fishes, 

 molluscs and crustaceans, the ground on which they are taken, the mode 

 of capture, the time of spawning, time of capturing, and general observa- 

 tions upon each — all also tabulated in a handy form. Altogether we may 

 learn much as to method and direction of investigation by an examination 

 of these careful Reports. 



THE FISHERIES OF HOLLAND.* 



The French Ministry of Agriculture sent Dr Sauvage to study the 

 fisheries of Holland, their engines and their methods of fishing, in the 

 interests of the fishings of the north coast of France, and, as a result, a 

 very valuable and full report has been written on the subject. The 

 report is divided into two parts, — the first treatiug of the equipment and 

 * Rapport sur la peche en Holland, par M. H. E. Sauvage, Paris. 



