BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 393 
bulls- eyes. The head iron is of a peculiar pattern, and an idea of its 
form can best be obtained from the illustration, Fig. 31. A broad lower 
part or sole curves up in front like the runner of a sled, but about 6 or 
8 inches above the ground the “shoe” is joined to a round bar of iron, 
2 inches in diameter, which at the top is flattened slightly and perforated 
with two holes, one for the beam iron and the other for the head rope. 
On the upper side of the sole or shoe is an eye, through which passes the 
ground rope, the end of which makes fast to the round part of the head 
iron. The sole is 1 foot long where it rests on the ground, made of 4 
by 2J inches flat iron. The head is 3 feet 3 inches high to the extreme 
top; the beam is raised about 2J feet above the ground. The ground 
rope of this trawl is fitted with chain festoons in the same manner as 
the larger Belgian trawl. 
In order to make this tow over the ground without upsetting, a short 
bridle or span is attached to each head iron ; the lower part of this bri- 
dle (which is 4 feet 3 inches long and well parceled to prevent chafe) 
passes through a hole in the front part of the shoe 5 or 6 inches above 
the ground, being knotted on its end to prevent it from coming out ; 
the upper part (3 feet 8 inches long) fastens around the head above the 
end of the beam. Beyond this span the bridle proper extends to the 
towing warp. 
4. Methods of Fishing. 
The methods of working the trawls on the larger class of Belgian 
vessels, according to M. Lorrain, are the same as those employed on 
the English trawlers. 
The “ single-boating ” system is the only one followed, each vessel 
taking it^own catch to market. Ice is carried for preserving the fish. 
The smacks from Ostend usually make trips of eight to ten days in 
length, while the Heyst and Blankenberghe craft rarely stay out more 
than one or two days. The fish are packed in boxes on board the ves- 
sels and brought to market in baskets. All the fish caught by the Os- 
tend boats are sold at that port and from thence they are distributed 
by the dealers. 
C. Holland. 
The fisheries of Holland are of a mixed nature, differing from those 
of most English ports in that the same vessels which follow herring 
fishing for a portion of the year may at other times engage in beam- 
trawling, or the beam-trawler of to-day may be employed in fishing with 
long lines to-morrow. It is therefore somewhat difficult to say precisely 
what is the relative importance of beam-trawling among the fisheries 
pursued by the Dutch. That it is an important branch of the fisheries 
of Holland is well known. 
“Next. to the herring fishery,” says a Dutch writer, “ the capture of 
fresh fish is the principal one in Holland. The fish are sometimes caught 
with hooks, but more frequently with trawls and other drag-nets. In 
