BULLETIX OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 161 



Vol. VI, ^o. 1 1 . ^Va!»ihiaB§ton, I>. C. Awg^. 25, 18 86. 



54.— THE ICELANK FKESifi-WATEK FIimiERIES.* 



lu order to get a clearer idea of the Lydrograpbic conditions of 

 Iceland, it was my intention to make a trip to the Isboll Lake, whose 

 natural conditions are said to be very peculiar. But when I learned 

 that there was no boat on this lake, and that it is very limited in ex- 

 tent, I gave up this plan. At present no fisheries are carried on in 

 this lake, for the simple reason that the inhabitants of that neighbor- 

 hood have no inclination to fish. People prefer to get fresh tish from 

 the Ofiord, which, when received there, are not in a very good con- 

 dition, antl which of course are not improved by being carried on horse- 

 back for a considerable distance. There are in the Isholl Lake both 

 trout, and mountain-trout, which are said to be very good. This lake is 

 very deep, being said to reach a depth of 30 fathoms in some ])laces. 



Cn August 8 I made an excursion to Hjaltore, in order to witness the 

 herring fisheries which were reported to have begun at that place. 

 Upon arriving at Hjaltore I learned that no herring had as yet been 

 caught. I therefore crossed the fiord to visit Einar Asmundson, a 

 member of the Iceland Assembly, at ISTes. In his company I visited 

 Sira Magnus at Laufos, and there examined some so-called sjoreidur 

 which had been caught in the falls of the Fnjoska, near the place where 

 it flows into the Ofiord. These fish were simply birting, that is to say, 

 nothing but mountain-trout, which had entered the fresh water from 

 the sea. Strange to say, no trout are caught in the falls. Tliis is prob- 

 ably caused by the circumstance that the Fnjoska is not well adapted 

 to these fish, as it is full of rocks ; and nowhere could I discover suita- 

 ble localities for spawning. The Fnjoska has very little vegetation. I 

 Lave seen mountain-trout leap the falls just as rapidly as trout. 



On August 11 I continued my journey, following the course of the 

 Helga, in which salmon are sometimes said to ascend. Higher up this 

 river I found trout in great abundance. Everywhere there is the great- 

 est quantity of tish -food. 



I examined Lake Hraunsvatn as well as could be done during my 

 short stay. It is said to be very deep ; but several soundings which I 

 took did not show a greater depth than 32 fathoms. At a depth of 23 

 fathoms the water had a temperature of 5° Celsius, while at the surface 

 the temperature was 9°. The bottom has everywhere a grayish ap- 

 pearance, being a dark clay bottom, as in theLjosavatn Lake. In this 



* From the Danish Fiskeritidende for July 21 aud 28 and August 4 and 18, 18d5. 

 Translated by Hermax Jacobsox. For an article on the same subject, see F. C. Re- 

 port for 1884, p. 323. 



Bull. U. S. F. C, 86 11 



