132 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



spring-herring by the same marks as the sea-herring, and which is said 

 to resemble in its appearance the Norwegian herring. On the coast 

 of Bohus-Lan it is never found with fully-developed sexual organs, but 

 is by some considered to be full-grown sea-herring. Ekstrdm thought 

 that they were barren spring-herring ; l and this opinion was shared 

 by von Yhlen. 2 Some years ago this kind of herring came to the 

 northern coast in much larger numbers than usual, 3 and according to some 

 reports they are said to have staid till the end of May, when they got 

 fat; but this last-mentioned kind, caught in May, 4 is said by others to have 

 been mostly autumn-herring, a race which is supposed to be distinct from 

 the wandering- herring. The wandering-herring is not liked by the fisher- 

 men, because it is almost valueless, and is believed, if appearing in larger 

 numbers, to chase away the other herring and eat up the young ones, 5 

 so that its arrival often indicates the close of the herring-fisheries. On 

 the Stroinstad coast one occasionally hears the opinion expressed that 

 the wandering-herring is of the same kind as the " old n herring, or at 

 least resembles it. The wandering-herring is not spoken of in the re- 

 ports of the " old " fisheries, so that in this respect they seem to be dif- 

 ferent from the fisheries on the west coast of Norway, which generally 

 commenced with the fishing of wandering-herring. 



The name StrdJcsill (wandering-herring) seems to have been given on 

 account of its wandering about the coast in comparative loneliness, 

 without occurring in regular schools and producing any fisheries. On 

 the northernmost coast it is called Bensill, (bone-herring,) because it is 

 thought to have more numerous and larger bones than any other her- 

 ring. 6 In the neighboring portion of Norway it used formerly to be 

 called Jernsvensk sill (Iron Swedish herring. 7 ) Its proper Norwegian 

 name, however, is Straalsild, (ray-herring,) JStraaksild, (wandering- 

 herring,) Solkovedsild, (sun-head herring,) 8 as well as Blodsild (blood- 

 herring. 9 ) This last-mentioned name seems to indicate that even in 

 Norway the fishermen consider the wandering-herring to have more 

 blood than any other herring. 



1 Ofvers. af Kgl. Vet. Akad : a Forhandl. f. 1844, p. 26.— Praktisk af handling, p. 8 — 

 Later, however, he came to the conviction that the wandering-herring was identical 

 with the Norwegian herring. — Ofvers. af Kgl. Vet. Akad : s Forhandl. f. 1840, p. 20. 



2 Goteborgs och Bohusliins Hushallings Sailskaps Quartalsskrift, Jnly, 1873,.p. 50; 

 1873, p. 205. 



Sars, G. 0., Iudheretning. Morgenhladet f. 1871, n:o. 



4 Handl. ror Sillf., p. 90 fr. 31. 



6 Handl. ror Sillf., p. 88 fr. 21.— Ekstroin, Ofvers. af Kgl. Vet. Akadrs Forhandl, f. 

 1846, p. 20. 



6 Boeclc, A., Tidskrift for Fiskeri, VII, p. 26. 



7 Yhlen, G. von, Goteborgs och Bohusliins llushallnings Sailskaps Qvartalsskrift, 



1873, p. 205. 



8 Lfybcrg, Norges Fiskerier, pp. 23, 24. — Boeclc, Om Silden, pp. 23, 24, 48. 



9 Sars, G. O., Indberetning til Departernentet for det Indre om de af ham i Aarene, 

 1864-1873, anstillede, praktisk videnskabligo Uuders^gelser. Christiania, 1869 and 



1874. Indberetuiug for 1873, p. 59. 



