134 WEST COAST FISHERIES. 



leap to the natural conclusion that no herring are in the 

 vicinity. This it seems is not a necessary conclusion to 

 come to, for, undoubtedly, when cod-fish were numerous in 

 60 fathoms near the mouth of the loch, within 3 miles of the 

 head, herring were being captured in quite sufficient numbers 

 to show that they were plentiful on the feed in the neighbour- 

 hood. This seems an important fact in view of our former 

 experiences. 



The cod-fish were being captured last spring both by the old 

 way of long lines, and the modern Norwegian system of nets 

 sunk to the bottom, and were frequenting the mouth of the 

 loch at this time in multitudes for the purpose of spawning. 

 The waters were accordingly well filled with their ova, as well as 

 mth those of many other so-called pelagic fishes, whose eggs float 

 on the surface until incubated. When the nets were drawn the 

 contiguous fishes were quite frequently male and female, showing 

 they had come together for spawning purposes. These could easily 

 be relieved of the ripe ova, and these latter impregnated under 

 water by the milt of the male ; but it was invariably the case 

 that only a portion of the ova was ripe at a time, and that the 

 spawning of the cod is a lengthy operation, and not readily 

 concluded — an arrangement to secure its safety against destruc- 

 tion by being all thrown into the water at once, under adverse 

 conditions. There is no doubt that cod-fish throw their ova 

 at the bottom of the sea, even at a depth of 60 fathoms; that 

 these ova immediately come to the surface if impregnated, and 

 that they remain there until incubated, floating about at the 

 mercy of the winds and waves. 



We took them at all stages of development, and explained 

 their condition to the fishermen, who were much interested, and 

 as usual much astonished, to find that their beliefs in this 

 direction were not in accordance with the simple facts so readily 

 observable. In the spring, from March to the end of May, was 

 the period in which the sea was richest in floating ova of all 

 kinds, from the cod downwards to the smaller rocklings. After- 

 wards, with increasing warmth, there was a greater increase in 

 Entomostraca, those voracious little crustaceans that clear the 

 sea of all decaying animal matter, and no doubt also attack such 

 helpless organisms as developing ova, in despite of the tough 

 zona radiata that environs them. This is a sufficiently sugges- 

 tive fact, as pointing to all the Gadidse as being northern fish, 

 and better adapted for the colder seas. At the same time they 

 must necessarily have water of a sufficiently high temperature 

 to develop the floating ova, and it is just possible that, within 

 a comparatively limited area, the ova of the Gadidoe are success- 

 fully developed during the spring months to supply the whole 

 area inhabited by them. Otherwise they must just take it 



