Fig. 16.—Rhomboidal Frame for Net
The material of the net should be some kind of strong gauze, or a loosely-woven canvas. Leno answers very well, but is somewhat easily torn, and will have to be frequently renewed. This, however, may be avoided to a great extent if, instead of sewing the gauze directly round the wire, a strip of strong calico be first attached to the frame, and the gauze then sewn to the calico; for it will be understood that any fragile material placed round the wire will soon be worn through by friction against the rugged surfaces of the rocks and stones. The net itself should not be very deep, and should have no corners; and as to the length of the handle, that will be determined by the fancy of the collector, or by the character of the ponds to be searched, but a tough walking-stick with a crook handle will generally answer all purposes, the crook being itself frequently useful for removing the larger weeds and other obstructions.
Fig. 17.—Rhomboidal Net
Fig. 18.—Semicircular Net