“ I never saw a porpoise take a baited hook, but have beard of sucb a thing. I do not imagine be could be held with any line of less strength than a cod or conger line. If be be a little puffer, or herring-hog, from three to five feet in length, something might be done with him; but should a large bottle-nosed fellow get fast, of six to eight feet in length, he would dart off like lightning, and at least a hundred fathoms of line should be provided for his first rush, after which he might be allowed to tow the boat until tired; and unless the sportsman is a thorough practical seaman and a good swimmer, he had better not attempt it.”—J. C. Wilcocks (Guernsey).' “I have heard of several instances of porpoises being caught with a line, but I fear the injury done by the hook would prevent his surviving his capture.”—Henry J. B. Hancock. “ Watching porpoises from the south coast of Devonshire, it struck me that one of them might have been hooked with well-arranged snap-tackle, if he would have taken a 6 good oars 9 would enable anbait. A light boat and two angler to spin a herring or mackerel a hundred yards from the stern, across or ahead of the animals. The line should come from a strong stiff rod, and a very large reel of easy working. I think the chance of a capture well worth the cost of a few trials.” R. L. u I have devised and partly constructed the following tackle, but I do not know if a porpoise will take a bait. It consists of a piece of board, about ten inches square, with a copper bolt fixed perpendicularly through the centre. On each end is a strong swivel; to one swivel would be attached the line (say fifty fathoms), armed with very strong hooks, fixed to very strong gimp. To the other swivel would be fixed a good strong line, having on its further end a large cork or a bladder. In the event of striking a porpoise, the small board would immediately be thrown overboard, and would form a yielding force to each pull of the porpoise; if necessary, the whole line could be

thrown overboard, as the bladder would enable it to be recovered. Weights sufficient to keep the hooks a few feet below the surface of the water must be attached.”— Salamander. My friend Mostyn Owen, Esq., has shown me the plan by which he used to catch crocodiles with trimmers baited with live ducks. I think a modification of it would catch porpoises, using a mackerel as a bait.

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