79 



iu 1889, when only 1600 »ankers" were taken. This year 

 (1890) auchovy-fishing in the Zuiderzee has been exceedingly 

 profitable: whereas fór the richest year known hitherto , a 

 catch of about 100.000 »ankers" has been noted , in 1890 pro- 

 bably about 200.000 » ankers" will have been caught. In the 

 autumn of this year very considerable quautities of young ancho- 

 vies have been observed, and destroyed with the kuilnet-fishing in 

 the Zuiderzee. On September 19 soine small anchovies (measuring 

 from 62 — 85 m.m.) were brought me, a dozen out of a rauch 

 larger colleetion which were taken with a drift-net (macquerel- 

 net) which had been fishing near Huisduinen , at the Northsea- 

 coast close by Helder , where the Zuiderzee communicates with 

 the Northsea by means of the Helsdeur. No doubt these were 

 little anchovies born in June or July in the Zuiderzee; their age 

 was 2^/2 a 3 months, their length 60 to 80 m.m. They were 

 then on their way to the Northsea there to grow and fatten. 



E e 1. Occasionally a few little eels (65 a 75 m.m.) were taken with 

 the surface-net, as, for instance, between Lemmer and Stavoren ofF 

 the so-called Style Bank (areometer 1.004), and to the west of Schok- 

 land (areometer 1.0006). Whether the eel spawns in the brackish 

 water of the Zuiderzee, or goes as far as the Northsea for that 

 purpose, I have had no opportunity of ascertaining. In the Zuider- 

 zee a very considerable eel-fishiug goes on, and, as fishes of all 

 sizes are caught there during 4 to 5 months (May — September), 

 I feel inclined to admit that most of the eels which either have been 

 born in the Zuiderzee, or have entered that sea from the Northsea, as 

 a rule do not enter the fresh water of the rivers which commu- 

 nicate with the Zuiderzee. 



The best months for the eel-fishing iu the Zuiderzee are May 

 and June, whereas in October this industry is quite brought to 

 a close: no autumn eel-fishing, such as is practised in the lower- 

 most parts of our rivers with great success , takes place in the 

 Zuiderzee. 



