OBSERVATIONS ON HOTARU-IICA WATASENIA SCINTILLANS. gi 
of the influential persons carrying on the Hotaru-tka fisher}^ as to the situa- 
tions of the nets in 191 3. 
A. FISHING CONDITION OF THE WHOLE COAST. 
The coast-line of Toyama Prefecture is curved in and embraces Toyama 
Bay. It is very deep along the whole coast, the loc-fathoms line being 
nearer the shore than anywhere along the coast of the Japan Sea. And the 
middle portion of Toyama Bay has a depth of above 600 fathoms. 
The sea bottom inclines generally very irregularly at the coast and there 
are many valley-like places near the sea-shore, this being especially the case 
at Namerikawa, while the bottom consists generally of darkish gray mud. 
The tidal current on the coast is a tributary of the Tsushima Current and 
comes from the Noto Peninsula, running toward the Province of Echigo. 
The surface temperature of the sea water in the Hotaim-ika fishing season is 
about io°C at the beginning, increasing to about I4°C at the most i^rosperous 
season of the fishing, and reaches 1 8°C towards the latter end. 
Hotaru-ika are obtained very frequently in spring from the depth of 100 
or more fathoms in the sea, about 2-7 miles off the coast, proving that at least 
some part of them are living in that region during the fishing season. 
The most useful fishing implement used by the fisherman for the Hotmni- 
ika fishery in the Toyama Bay is the '■'Fiikubc-ami.'" . On the coast of To- 
yama Prefecture, the Fiikubc-avii is generally fixed sometimes in ranges on 
the steep slopes of the valley-like depressions or on the submarine banks ; 
these stand at right angles to the shore-line. 
The Fukiibe-anii is made of 2 principal j^arts, i. e. a bag-net and a screen- 
net. The screen-net is about 20 meters in extent and is fixed in the same 
direction as that of the submarine valleys or banks to cut off the way of the 
fish driving them into the bag-net toward the oioen sea, its under edge being 
generally fixed into the sea bottom. The bag-net is fixed at the extremity of 
the screen-net, and has a funnel-like mouth opening toward the shore, the 
