BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 431 



88.— UNEXPLAINED VARIATIONS IN THE YIELD OF OIL FBOM COD 



LITERS. 



By W. II. SCIIIEFFEL.IN & CO. 



[From letter to Prof. S. F. Baird.] 



The result of the cod-fishery on the Norwegian coast this season is 

 remarkable. We are at a loss to account for such a state of affairs. A 

 letter from Bergen, dated March 6, states the result of the fishery up to 

 this day as follows : 



Tear ending — 



March 5, 1881 

 March 5, 1882 

 March 5, 188a 



l^uniber of 

 cod taken. 



13, 000, 000 



5, 500, 000 



6, 000, 000 



Barrels of 

 liver ob- 

 tained. 



27, 500 

 7,650 

 4,100 



Barrels of 

 white oil. 



1,400 

 240 

 180 



Usually 250 to 400 codfish give 1 barrel of liver. This year, from 700 

 to 1,100 are wanted. Usually 2 barrels of liver give 1 barrel of oil. 

 This year, 4 or 5 barrels of liver are wanted. 



172 William Street, New York, April 2, 1883. 



89.— UNEXPLAINED VARIATIONS IN THE YIELD OF OIL FROM COD 



LIVERS. 



By Capt. N. E. ATWOOD. 



[From letter to Prof. S. F. Baird, written upon reading the foregoing letter.] 



In my long experience in the fisheries of this locality I have given 

 much attention to the condition of the livers of cod, but more especially 

 so since 1849 when I commenced to manufacture cod-liver oil for medici- 

 nal purposes. I have bought the livers as they came in fresh every 

 winter since that time. 



The winter school of cod usually comes in here in December and stops 

 until March. In former years there seemed to be no great difference in 

 the condition and quality of the livers from year to year. I think it 

 took from 2£ to 3 barrels of livers to yield a barrel of oil until about 

 1872. For several winters after, we had a large school of excellent 

 cod visit us ; indeed, the best I have ever seen. Their livers yielded a 

 large quantity of excellent oil. It took only 2 to 2£ barrels of livers for 

 a barrel of oil. During the winter ending March, 1878, we had an 

 abundance of cod, but they were thin and poor when compared with 

 those of former yeais. In their mouths we occasionally found such 

 hooks as are used by the French fishermen on the banks of Newfound- 



