44 KEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



with small fish-hooks. The fisherman makes a hole in the ice, and places 

 the apparatus in the water, using small fish as baits. He draws it out 

 soon to plunge it in again, for this fishing is yery productive, a prac- 

 ticed fisherman often taking not less than 2,000 "navagas " in one short 

 winter's day. 



To fishing-tackle measuring 40 "sageues" (280 feet) in leagth, copper 

 or wire hooks are attached by means of horse-hair strings 10 inches in 

 length. The hooks are placed at a distance of three-fourths of an "ar- 

 sheen" (1 foot 9 inches) from each other, and are baited with small pieces 

 of herring, or lavaretas, (Coregonus pollcur.) This apparatus is placed in 

 the spring near the shore. 



4. — RIVER AND LAKE FISH. 



Among the river-fish, the sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) holds the first 

 rank. During the second decade of the present century, the sterlet first 

 commenced to show themselves in the Dwina; then, in 1848 and 1849, in 

 the Soukhona in large numbers. These precious fish seem to have come 

 to the Dwina from the Kama through the canals. This fishery is, how- 

 ever, so far, not very considerable. As regards fresh-water fish, great 

 quantities of "nalim," (Lota vulgaris;) of " koriouchka, " (Osmerus 

 eperlanus ;) of Coregonus and of " minoga, " (Petromyzon fluviatilis,) are 

 caught, these last mentioned chiefly in the Onega, while the "omoul" 

 (Coregonus omul) and the "nelma, " (Coregonus leucichthys,) the Siberian 

 salmon, are caught more frequently in the Petshora. Every year, about 

 100 "pouds" (3,600 pounds) of "minoga" (Petromyzon jluviatilis) are 

 exported from the town of Onega. Next to the salmon, the " omoul " 

 (Coregonus omul) finds the best market. They are salted in casks contain- 

 ing 12 " pouds " (832 pounds) each, reckoning about a pound and a half 

 of salt to each "poud," (36 pounds.) 



The above-mentioned fish are either caught with lines, or with station- 

 ary nets having meshes from 1£ to 2 inches square. In the lakes, seines 

 froni60to 100 "sagenes" (420 to 700 feet) in length are used for catching 

 scaly fish. Unfortunately, the spawn is also taken, especially in the lake 

 of Koubino. For this purpose, hoop-nets are used with a bag measuring 

 4 " sagenes" (28 feet) in length. The meshes of the bag are so narrow 

 that a fly could not pass through. Nine of these meshes measure only 

 2^ inches, while seven meshes of the wing of the seine measure 2£ inches. 

 The roe of the " okoune, " (Perca fluviatilis,) and of the " yerschi, " (Acer- 

 ina vulgaris,) is dried in ovens specially constructed for this purpose, 

 and is used as a seasoning during Lent. 



B— FISHERIES IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN. 



1. — FISHERIES ON THE MOURMAN COAST. 



The Mourman coast, in Russian Lapland, begins at the Cape of Saints, 

 the point of demarkatiou between the White Sea and the Arctic Ocean, 



