GENERAL BIOLOGY 



735 



The direction of the movement will, of course, depend on the 

 currents, and on other conditions peculiar to various localities. 

 In the district of Romsdal Damas made some excellent 

 investigations on board the " Michael Sars," and ascertained 

 that spawning took place almost exclusively on the coast 

 banks, that in the fjords being quite insignificant (see Fig. 524). 

 The young fry, however, were later found in vast quantities in 

 the fjords, having been carried in by currents. Schmidt has 



Fig. 523.— Distribution of Pelagic Eggs and Young-Fish of the Cod at 

 different seasons. 



I. Outer limit of pelagic eggs in the spawning time, January to April 1901. 

 II. Outer limit of pelagic young-fish, June to July 1901. 

 HI. Outer limit of pelagic young-fish, August to September 1900. 



given an account of the spawning of different cod-species off 

 Iceland, the occurrence of pelagic eggs and their subsequent 

 fate (see Fig. 525). Most cod species and flat-fishes spawn on 

 the south and south-west coasts of Iceland, the northern and 

 north-eastern sides of the island being encircled by cold waters 

 during winter and spring. The freshly spawned eggs drift 

 from the south to the west coast, and farther to the north and 

 east coasts, the current running in this direction. The duration 

 of the pelagic stage is, however, different in different species of 

 the cod family ; their spawning seasons also differ. As a con- 



