348 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
immature fish were, in number, hardly worth speaking of — not more, it 
was asserted, than would have been got among an equal total cateh by 
net or line. If possibly disappointing as regards the quantity landed, 
the result of Saturday’s trial was all that was anticipated in other re- 
spects; the fish were brought up in excellent condition, and the pro- 
portion of small fish to the whole catch was almost incredibly small. 
Thete were also in the net several varieties of the smaller conditions of 
life at the sea-bottom, many being well-developed forms, and others 
very minute. On this point one of the party pointed a comparison be- 
tween the contents of the trawl net and that of a surface net which was 
worked from the deck of the vessel over three-quarters of a mile of sea. 
The contents of the surface net, it was stated, included a greater num- 
ber and a greater variety of life — very minute forms, of course — than 
did the contents of the other; showing, as it was believed, that life was 
more abundant on the surface than at the sea bottom. But, one ob- 
server also remarked, the sea bottom here was not so rich in the smaller 
conditions of life, which form food of codlings and such fish, as is the 
ground over which trawlers usually work or on which the larger catches 
are taken. Such, briefly put, is the result of a trial trip the results of 
which, to those most closely concerned, were regarded with satisfaction . 
It may be added that the owners of the Caller- On contemplate the build- 
ing of other vessels like her for the Granton deep-sea fishing should a 
reasonable experience of the working of this one prove remunerative.” 
8. Single Boating and Fleeting. 
Two distinct methods of trawling are carried on by the British ves- 
sels, called u single boating” and u fleeting.” 
The single-boating system is the oldest, having been pursued since 
the advent of trawling. By this system each vessel goes to sea and 
fishes presumably by herself, or, at least, usually has no connection with 
any other craft, the master pursuing his work in whatever waters he 
deems most suitable. Ice is carried for the purpose of keeping the 
fish, when going to a considerable distance from the home port, the 
catch being packed below in bins or pens built in the hold of the ves- 
sel, until she arrives in port, which may be anywhere from one to twenty 
days. The Brixham trawlers, in summer, frequently land their catch 
twice a day, when the conditions are favorable, in which case no ice is 
required, but the North Sea single boaters are generally out from one to 
three weeks. According to the report to the Board of Trade, “some 
of these vessels go out a very long way in order to find the fish, quite 
as far if not farther than is the practice with the fleets, and it often 
happens that many of them are found to be congregated together on 
the same fishing-ground, sometimes as many as from fifty to one hun- 
dred at one time. The J admiral’ of Hewitt’s fleet stated it to be his 
opinion that if all the smacks in the North Sea went single boating it 
