FISHES. 
169 
gigantic tangles to the fine cod and coal-fish of the Zetlandic 
seas, which also possess the rarer Chimcera. While it is thus 
vain to look for the vast variety or the gorgeous colours of the 
species which a few hours’ fishing off the shores of Guernsey 
brings before the investigator, or for the plenitude of large 
forms which in the north soon fill the boat to overflowing, yet 
there is sufficient success to reward exertion, either in deep 
water or off the sea-margin. Good white and flat fish occur 
in the bay, the latter especially abounding on the sandy flats 
off the West Sands, which thus form a rich ground for the 
trawlers, who are for the most part strangers. The trawl in 
common use (see accompanying figure, and also view of 
of Harbour at the end of the Fishes) consists of a beam of 
wood about 28 feet long, borne on the top of the bulbous ends 
of two pear-shaped iron structures. A large bag net is fixed 
to the apparatus, which is dragged behind the boat by ropes 
attached to the convex portion of the iron supports. The under 
surface of the latter is flattened, and the point of the apex 
(which is posterior) turned upwards—the whole thus forming 
a kind of subaqueous sledge, which glides over the sand and 
embraces in its progress every thing loose. Young coal-fishes 
occur all round the rocks and harbour ; occasionally a sea-trout 
is captured off the former; sand-eels frequent the sand near low 
water ; and the salmon-nets are often very productive. In the 
rock-pools swim hundreds of little two-spotted gobies, swarms 
of the beautifully coloured young of the lumpsucker, and 
strings of young sand-eels sport in the sunshine amongst the 
fringes of seaweeds like flashes of silvery light—affording with 
other littoral forms, such as shannies and blennies, ample food 
for the aquatic birds that frequent the beach. 
The rarer forms include the lancelet, garfish, doree, opah. 
oar-fish, and bonito. 
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