164 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



a young" mau tbere were only two seals in the river, while now their 

 number is considerable. 



xsear Huuaos I noticed near the sea about forty seals, while many 

 more could be seen in the lake. The seals are caught with stationary 

 nets, about 10 fathoms long and having meshes inches wide. The 

 seal fisheries begin towards the end of June, and last till the youDg 

 seals leave their mothers. Shooting is not allowed here. On an average 

 sixty seals are caught per annum, and the net income from this source 

 is about 100 crowns [820.80]. 



From Hnaussar, near the river Vatnsdalsa, I went to the river Kornsa. 

 On my way I visited, by the advice of the Eev. Torvald Asgeirsson, who 

 very kindly accompanied me, several places along this river. In many 

 places there have been landslides along the banks. ISTear one of these an 

 English amateur fisherman a short time ago caught with a fly a male 

 salmon weighing .31 pounds, j^robably a fish left over from the preceding 

 year. In 1871 salmon were caught to the value of 800 crowns [8214.40], 

 ])ut as a general rule the annual income from the salmon fisheries is 

 from 300 to 400 crowns [$80.40 to 8107.20]. At the present time these 

 fisheries are not very remunerative. In 1883 twelve salmon were caught, 

 and in 1884 only one. The lake in the valley is being drained, and 

 meadows are being formed. The entire valley seems to have undergone 

 a complete change at a comparatively recent time, and this change has 

 possibly also caused the decrease in the number of salmon. 



Alter having witnessed the hauling in of the nets in the Vididals4 

 Eiver, where (esi)ecially near Borg) a good many salmon are caught, I 

 staid for awhile at Vididalstunga. Some of the fish which I saw here 

 were young fish in excellent condition. Two male salmon were also 

 caught ; the milt was large, but not loose. Here twenty salmon weighing 

 from 8 to 17 pounds were caught in 1884; and at Bordeyri 50 ore [13^ 

 cents] a pound were paid for them. Most of these salmon are caught 

 near the mouth of the Fitja Eiver, below the falls, which the salmon 

 can lea[). 



Following the course of the river from Vididalstunga, the Kolugil 

 Falls were reached. These are very high, and cannot be passed by 

 the salmon. Occasionally a few salmon and trout are found below the 

 Kolugil Falls ; and I succeeded in catching several of them, all of which 

 seemed half starved, nothing being found in their stomachs but a few 

 beetles. I could not discover any young fish. Both rivers form excel- 

 lent spawning places near Vididalstunga; but no one seems ever to 

 have observed si)awning salmon. Pall Pallson Diieli, however, states 

 that the spawning season is late in September and October. 



Four years ago, from three hundred to four hundred salmon were 

 caught per annum. It is supposed that the seals congregating near the 

 place where the liver flows into the sea have caused this decrease. 

 Every now and then the salmon ascend the river before the 20th of 



