OSSEOUS FISHES. 
585 
itself on the exterior by the motion of the sea, caused by such vast 
numbers travelling rapidly through the water* In many localities the 
shoals of tunnies show themselves in the spring, pursuing then- way 
towards the east, and in the autumn we find them pursuing an oppo- 
site direction. We see the same thing on the coast of Provence. 
Upon the coast of La Ciotat a first fishing takes place from the 
months of March to July, and a second again from July to October. 
But at other points of the coast they arrive at the same time from 
very different directions. Besides, finally, it is only in winter that 
they are found. 
The tunny-fishing goes hack to the remotest antiquity. The 
Phoenicians, the first navigators known, carried it on on the coast of 
Spain. In our days the fishing is carried on with great activity on 
the coasts of Provence, of Sardinia, and Sicily. 
The fishing is carried on by the tunny-net, and in Provence it is 
fished with a net in the enclosure called the madrague. 
The tunny-net consists of a combination of nots, which is quickly 
cast into the sea in order to head tho tunnies at the moment of their 
passage. When the sentinels, posted for the purpose, as in the pil- 
chard-fishery, have signaled the approach of a shoal of tunnies and 
its direction, by the indications of a flag which points to the spot 
occupied by the finny tribe, the fishing-boats are immediately directed 
to the designated spot, and ranged in curved lines, forming with 
the light floating net a half circular enclosure, turned towards the 
shore, the interior of which is called tho garden. The tunnies thus 
enclosed in this garden, between the coast and the net, become agitated 
with terror. As they advance towards the shore they press upon the 
enclosure, or rather a new interior enclosure is formed with other nets 
held in reserve. In this second enclosure an opening is left, through 
which the tunnies have to pass. In continuing thus to diminish the 
space by successive enclosures, each occupies a smaller diameter, in 
which the fish are enclosed in about a fathom and a half of water. At 
this moment a species of seine-net is thrown into the garden. This net 
is hauled into shallow water by force of arms, and the small tunnies 
are taken by the hand, the larger by hooks. The boats are charged 
with them, and they are carried ashore. A single day’s fishing will 
sometimes produce as many as sixteen thousand tunnies, each from 
•twenty to five and twenty pounds weight. 
