144 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



places, there maybe mentioned Bjornsund, in Dyne'kilen, where the herring 

 spawns on a hilly bottom, and is caught in stationary nets ; Ozevik, and 

 other places in the sound between Bolccniis and Orost, 1 Ulkehdlet, 2 and 

 Hummer nund 3 and several localities near Tjorn, as well as the farms of 

 Hiistevik, Andal, Ardal, and Gdsesundf on the Hisingen coast, &c. 5 The 

 herrings which spawn in March and April are generally larger than 

 those spawning in May ? the latter being considered the younger, and 

 spawning for the first time. 6 This so-called May herring is often found 

 among those two years old, sometimes even with those one year old, and 

 sometimes with still younger herring. After mild winters and in favor- 

 able weather, the spawning begins somewhat earlier than otherwise/ 

 though the spawning-time of the spring-herring seems to have been 

 invariably the same, if we may judge from what can be inferred with 

 any degree of certainty from the more or less clear accounts concerning 

 the fishing for spring-herring and its spawning, found in the "Trangrums 

 AcV* concerning the blubber-refineries, in DubVs report on the herring- 

 fisheries in Bohuslan, 9 in the reports on the herring-fisheries, 10 and in 

 Ekstroirfs reports. 11 - 



The young herring generally begins to make its appearance in the 

 early part of May, and grows so rapidly that toward the end of 

 the year it has reached a length of from 2 J to 3£ inches. 12 Hav- 

 ing measured a large number of herring which were caught during 

 the latter half of May, I found the most of them can be divided 

 into three groups, according to their size, viz, those measuring about 

 4 inches in length, which must be considered as one year's fish ; those 

 of from 5 \ to 6 inches, probably two years'" fish; and those of about 6| 

 inches, which were supposed to be three years old, and had completely 

 developed sexual organs. Some fish were occasionally found with flow- 

 ing spawn, measuring only about 2£ inches ; and some measuring some- 

 what more, but not yet ripe for spawning the same year. Larger fish, 



1 Wright, W. von, Reports on Herring-Fisheries, p. 166. 



2 Wright, TV. von, Reports on Herring-Fisheries, p. 166. Ekstrom, Review of the Reports 

 of the Royal Academy of Sciences for 1844, pp. 26, 82. 



3 Nilsson, Scandinavian Fauna, IV, p. 509. 



4 Bubo, Reports of the Royal Academy of Sciences for 1817, pp. 35, 44. 



6 Compare, also, G. von Yhlen,' Quarterly Journal of the Gottenburg and Bohusliin 

 Economical Society, July, 1871, p. 51. 



6 This, possibly, was also the case with the " old " herring during the former great 

 fisheries. Compare " Reports to the Royal Fishing Deputation for the Year 1764 ;" also, 

 Sundevall, Reports of the Royal Economical Society of Stockholm, Liin VI, p. 153; and 

 Cederstrom, The Propagation of Fish and the Swedish Fisheries, pp. 130, 226. 



7 Ekstrom, Reports of the Royal Academy of Sciences for 1844, p. 120. Practical Essay, 

 p. 8. 



8 Trangrums Ad, pp. 76, 77, 78. 



9 Reports of the Royal Academy of Sciences for 1817, pp. 35, 44. 



10 Reports on the Herring-Fisheries, pp. 64, 66, 90, fr. 31 ; p. 117, fr. 16, 17 ; p. 120, fr. 11, 

 16 ; p. 126, fr. 27. New Reports Concerning the Herring-Fisheries, pp. ix, x. 



11 Reports of the Royal Academy of Sciences for 1844, p. 120. Practical Essay, p. 8. 



12 Counting from the point of the lower jaw to the root of the caudal fin. 



