New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-09-20
THE TANGLES.

| a. Tapgl. bar B. Runner, Chains
| Having described the machinery for scraping and
narrowing the ocean bed, now propose to tell how
it is swept The instrument in for this purpose
is called the tangles and in its simplest form has
long been in use in the sponge fishery. IL consists
of bar 81 feet long, supported on runners and serv
ing to drag after il series of masses OF hemp, each
| of which is a sort of mop. The fbers of the hemp
| entange the smaller crustaceans and many of the
more minute and delicate forms Of marine life with
out breaking or lnjuring them as the dredge is apt
to- The English explorers attach the tangles to the
dredge, and bitterly complain that their specimens
come to the surface much broken. Our naturalists
use the tangles as a separate instrument, and are
well satisfied with the results. Chains are wrapped
| in the hempen swabs which by their weight serve
TO keep the latter down to the work. Star fishes and
sea urchins being prickly are most readily caught
by the tangles; III frequent instances immense
masses of them thus swept and brought to the
surface. This consideration has moved Prof Verrill
to make suggestion that may prove of the highest
economic value. The oyster has more predacious
enemy than these star fish wherever there is an
oyster bed star fishes are found feeding on the
bivalves Prof. Verrin thinks the oyster beds
could be kept entirely clear of their enemies by fire.
quent sweeping with the tangles, which would not
interfere at all with the comfort of the oyster
while greatly improving the chances of his growth
and increase The experiment is well worth the try
ing. If it should be found that the oysters were
caught by the tangles, this could be obviated by
tightening the chains, and the few oysters lifted
could be thrown back again. The chief liability of
oysters to attacks from their foes to be in
newly-planted beds Many proprietor who has
been sorey perplexed at the failure of his young
bivalves may have to ascribe his loss TO the
star fish, who have eplcurean preference for oys-
tiers not over or two years old, and apt to
descend upon their beds in numbers sufficient to de-
your the entire plantation.
The Swedish naturalists. in the expeditions under
Prof Sars which have contributed so much to
knowledge Of the character and conditions of animal
life in the scandinavian seas, have brought into use
very simple apparatus which is of great merit An
india-rubber hose, with the lower end suitably
| weighted and suction pump applied to the upper
end constitutes the entire instruments if tho neces-
sary weight Is too heavy strain on the hose this
| may DO relieved by the addition of rope. The
lower end of the hose is let down TO the ocean bot
| tom, and tho water that enters pumped up. The
specific gravity of the water and its constituent
gases may be somewhat changed by the operation of
pumping, but in general the apparatus performs the
service of water-bottie while in addition it brings
| to hand uninjured the smaller and more fragile
forms of life which escape the tanges and are mutt
| lated by the dredge. These smaller animals MANY
| of which are almost invisible TO the unaded eye
constitute important part of the food of fishes
with some kinds of fish being their chief sustenance
and for Others serving to nourish the larger forms
| of marine life which their appetite prefers.