102 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



sounding line, that these channels are valleys at the bottom of the sea, 

 running toward the coast in different directions. Having continued 

 these observations for some time, he was able to corroborate the fisher- 

 man's statement that at different times the herring follow certain chan- 

 nels when they approach the coast for the purpose of spawning. It 

 would require too much time to describe the location of these channels 

 in detail, and we hope that Boeck will, at some future day, publish 

 these maps. In one of his lectures he mentioned a circumstance which 

 fortunately was among the first to come under his observation, and 

 which showed conclusively that, during the spawning time, the herring 

 follow these channels; and this he found to be the case invariably. He 

 had made a great inany soundings in the channel, extending between 

 Eoser and Feed and stretching toward Hauskeskcer, and had placed a 

 chain of nets across it. A large number of fish were caught all along 

 this chain, while another chain, the greater part of whose nets stood on 

 the rocks, with only one end reaching the channel, only caught fish in 

 that portion which touched the channel. He also found it of the 

 utmost importance, for the success of the herring-fisheries, to ascertain 

 which channel the great school of herring follows when it comes in to 

 spawn ; for several times he was able to designate with certainty the 

 place where the fish would be on the following day, by knowing where 

 large numbers were caught the preceding day. This, however, he could 

 only do when storm or cold did not interfere with his calculations. He 

 also convinced himself that if several nets are set in such a channel 

 they do not interfere with each other, but that the herring push forward 

 along the channel over and into the nets. 



Boeck finally drew attention to the so-called " flak," i. e., large level 

 places at the bottom of the sea covered with rough gravel, which iu 

 calm weather are the herring's favorite spawning places. He raised 

 with the dredge large lumps of roe and gravel intermixed. In these 

 places the largest number of herring is invariably caught. 



The influence of wind on the fisheries was observed long ago, and the 

 Swedish zoologist Ekstrom, and after him Nilsson, attach some im- 

 portance to it; but iu estimating the information obtained from fisher- 

 men, they are not sure which wind is favorable for fishing, the one blow- 

 ing from the coast or the one blowing toward it. The Dutch zoologists 

 have not been able to discover that the direction of the wind has any 

 special influence on the fisheries, except that a violent gale precludes 

 all possibility of fishing. On the coast of Norway opinions are likewise 

 very much divided on this point, some maintaining one thing, others 

 another. By examining, however, all the annual observations made by 

 the government inspector and by himself, Boeck found, that when the 

 herring is out in the open sea a wind blowing toward the coast favors 

 its approach, while when the herring are near to the coast its formation 

 has to be taken into consideration. If, e. #., the herring occupy an area 

 like the one opposite the southern part of Karmo, between Syre and 



