98 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



lieved that important results in regard to the herring-fisheries might 

 also be secured by scientific investigation, and many problems be solved 

 which had hitherto been doubtful. It was questionable, however, how 

 far practical results could be hoped for, and how far the causes of the her- 

 ring's disappearance could be ascertained and means be found to prevent 

 it. Yarrell, the English scientist, lately deceased, said that the herring 

 was a whimsical fish, which had no definite place in wbbh it could be ex- 

 pected with certainty. The famous Danish ichthyologist Kroyer, who had 

 for some time made scientific researches iu this direction, in his great 

 work, "The Fish of Denmark ,"* makes use of these words : " How desir- 

 able it is to gain more insight into the natural history of fish is strik- 

 ingly illustrated by the herring, as many points iu its mode of living are 

 still unexplained, and many fabulous accounts are transmitted from one 

 generatiou to another." The zoologist Yan der Hoeven also dissuaded 

 Boeck from occupying himself with these studies, as they would be pro- 

 ductive neither of profit nor of honor. 



Several scientists have, however, opened the way for such researches. 

 The French zoologists, Audouiu and Milne-Edwards, traveled for sev- 

 eral years on the coasts of France for the purpose of examiuing the 

 fisheries scientifically ; the only result of their researches, however, 

 being a volume published iu 1830 and containing chiefly statistics. The 

 investigations made in Bohusliin, (western coast of Sweden,) by Profes- 

 sor Nilsson, of the University of Lund, are of greater value. The her- 

 ring had disappeared from that coast iu 1S08, after having been exceed- 

 ingly plentiful for more than fifty years. Large sums of money had 

 been employed iu establishing salting-houses and oil-refineries, and the 

 government had specially favored emigration to the coast of Bohusliin, 

 Avhere the herring-fisheries for a long time formed a fruitful source of 

 income. No herring were found near the coast; the merchants were 

 idle; and fishermen and salters led a miserable life. Still, people hoped 

 year after year for the return of the herring, and rumors were current 

 that enormous quantities of fish were immediately outside the coast in 

 the so called " Stor rende," (Great Channel.) The government assisted 

 the fishermen, and 50,000 rigsdalers (about $25,000 gold) were spent iu 

 attempts to secure fish from this locality, (the " Stor rende.") Although 

 all these efforts failed, it was still hoped that the herring would return, 

 as scientists had expressed the opiuion that only unfavorable circum- 

 stances prevented their approach. The fish, however, did not return, 

 and the former extensive fisheries were almost entirely abandoned. 

 The local press zealously advocated new investigations, and Professor 

 Nilsson began iu Lund, in 1825, a series of researches. It is to be re- 

 gretted that Nilsson could not begin this labor until eighteen years after 

 the disappearance of the herring, and that he entered upon these inves- 

 tigations with his opinions firmly fixed. He, therefore, met with much 

 opposition. He renewed his investigations during the years 182S-32, 



* Daninarks Fiske. 



