6 
account of those conducted by the Norwegian naturalists, there is no doubt 
that, both on the southern shores of Norway and in Denmark, there are 
every spring two groups, the one year old fry of c. 3—8 inches, and the 
older fish, from c. 11 inches and upwards; but no fry of 1 and 2 inches — 
this must come later on, when the spawn, which is deposited in March and 
April, is developed. 2 
About the tenderest fry of cod, which he discovered and investigated 
in Lofoten 1864—67, Professor G. 0. Sars wrote as follows: "Of the young 
of large codfish I got also, wherever I tried, some up in the net, both such 
as had lately left the egg, .. .”. Further: ""Thus, some time after, oma 
fine, calm day (the 20th of May), I observed on the east-side of Skraaven, 
in the shallow sounds and coves, with light, sandy bottom, large numbers 
of them in the surface of the sea.” . .. "They were still, as a rule, only 
7—8 millimeters, or some 3—4 "lines' long.” On the 12th of June he 
writes: "Everywhere they were seen, from the surface of the water as deep 
down as I could see, as small, quick, vibrating, darkish threads, eagerly 
biting at the small species of Calanus7). They had grown considerably 
already, the largest heing as long as 24 millimeters.” — When we know 
with what primitive apparatus, and with how small hboats, Sars 
worked, and learn, moreover, that he could actually see the tender fry of 
cod in large quantities in the water, it will he understood that it cannot be 
difficult to find, where it is actually present. I was not a little astonished, 
therefore, that it was almost impossible for me to find any of it, at any 
time of the year, during the two years, 1891 & 1892, when the Biological 
Station was at Fænø, although our situation was so fortunate that we could 
fish day and night with nets, which were much larger, and fished much 
better, than those which Sars used, and though, in the spawning-time in 
the Little Belt, I had seen masses of floating, feeundated spawn of codfish, 
which we could hatch on board after it was caught. 1 wrote therefore in 
Report III, p. d: "It is one of the facts that have astonished me most 
during these researches, /hat the fry of pelagic eggs, which were sometimes 
Sound in such huge numbers in Fænø Sound, was not hatched there or, at any 
rate, was only to be found there quite eæceptionally.” 
And this was the case not only with the cod, but with all species of 
fishes which have pelagic (floating) eggs, in contradistinction to those that 
deposit their eggs on the bottom. The fry of the latter is, as a rule, easily 
found. — I can now extend the above statement: it holds good of the said 
fishes in all Danish seas within the Skaw, with few exceptions, viz. some 
of the flat-fishes. Particularly with respect to the cod, it is certain that its 
tender fry is always eæceedingly rare in Danish seas. 
Most of our seas have afterwards been investigated, with a view to the 
result from Fænø; and I have of late years (1899, 1900) looked everywhere 
+) Small crustacea. 
