52 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 
worked may be jndged from tlie following records extracted from the 
log of two successful hauls : — 
Depth in 
Dredge. 
Length of 
Time in Minutes. 
Fathoms. 
Rope out. 
Descent. 
Ascent. 
On bottom. 
190 
Agassiz trawl 
and dredge 
attached. 
300 
10 
20 
20 
325 
Ditto. 
570 
20 
15 
45 
The time occupied in paying out and hauling in depended on many 
little circumstances which occasionally comhined to delay the work; 
for instance, in the leeing of the vessel the rope might get too broad 
to port or starboard, and we should stop heaving-in while the paddles 
gave a few turns. 
Teawls and Deedges. 
Twenty -foot-leam Traiol. — One trawl this size was used occasionally 
for fishing in bays, and at moderate depths the floor of the net and tail 
of the purse were lined with small-mesh net, so as to retain small objects. 
This, and all our other nets, were tanned. 
Blahe Doulle Trawl. — The difficulty of landing the ordinary beam 
trawl right side up on the bottom in considerable depths of water led 
to the invention of the double trawl provided with two foot ropes, so 
that it matters not which side reaches the bottom first. To Captain 
Sigsbee and Professor Alexander Agassiz is due the credit of planning 
this implement. This trawl was used with much success on the 
''Talisman" Expedition. Our one was 7 feet wide by 2 feet deep. 
Length of bag, 12 feet. 
Agassi% Trawl. — One of these trawls proved to be the best engine 
of all those on board for catching the larger forms of life. It di:ffered 
from the former only in the mode of attachment of the foot ropes, which 
gave them a deeper curve. The nets of both trawls were of small-mesh 
net size, ^ inch from knot to knot, outside which was a second net 
of heavy trawl twine, and they were furnished with internal funnels 
to prevent fish, &c., once in from returning to the mouth and escaping. 
I>r edges. — The "Ball di-edge" must always, in some form, take a 
