27 



yoting therefore do not grow at an equal rate, not only in different waters but also 

 OU different grounds and deptlis within the same region. 



Investigations in earlier years. 



The conclnsions I have drawn from our investigations of the cod eggs 

 and youug in 1904 are fuUy confirmed by the results of earlier investigations. 

 These certaiuly differ in details from the results in 1904 but in the main there is 

 no difference. 



When the Biological Station was in Fænø Sound in 1891 — 92, the Direetor 

 took the cod eggs from January to May and the pelagic young in April — June (see 

 "Biol. Stat. Beretn. III"). 



In the collections taken in the years 1899 — 1901 at various piaces in 

 Danish waters (see "De danske Farvandes Plankton I''), cod eggs were found in 

 March — May, the pelagic youug in April and May. The January and February 

 collections contained no cod eggs, at least none could be determined with certaiuly 

 as cod eggs. There are indeed but few pelagic eggs in Jannuary and February, 

 as mentioned on p. 10, and the observation of the Direetor in Beretning III from 

 the Biological Station ("Det pelagiske Liv i Fænø Sound 1901 — 02'), that the cod 

 eggs were frequent in the Fænø Sound, is perhaps dv;e to the intensive fishing 

 with the pelagic net which hung out in the current for liours. 



In 1902 investigations on the cod eggs and pelagic young were carried on 

 in the Little Belt in March, April and May. The eggs were found in all three 

 months, the pelagic youug only in April and May, in greatest numbers io May. 

 The pelagic young were also found in other waters in 1902, and it may be specially 

 remarked (see Tab. B, p. 28), that 6 pelagic young of V4 — V4 iocbes (ca. 1 — -2 cm.) 

 were taken in the Great Belt in June, whilst in 1904 no cod young at all were 

 taken there in that month. In relation to this is the faet that not a few bottom- 

 stages of the cod were taken in the Great Belt in 1902. 



Nevertheless the same characteristic distribution of the bottom-stages is 

 shown in 1902 as in 1904. Many bottom-hauls were made with the young-fish 

 trawl in the Sound during July and September but without result; similarly in 

 the waters of Smaaland and on the west coast of Zealand in July. On the other 

 hånd numerous cod young were taken on the coasts of Funen, not only on the 

 coasts towards the Little Belt and western Baltic but also towards the Great Belt, 

 as will be seen from the following Journal extracts: 



D. 25—6 — 02. Off Staureshoved (Great Belt, east coast of Funen), 3 — 4 fm., Zostera and 

 algæ. Young.flsh trawl on the bottom, 8 minutes: 8 cod (O gr.), 8 larger cod as also other fish. 



D. 25 — 6 — 02. South from Staureshoved, 6 fm. Young-fish trawl on the bottom, 

 7 minutes: 9 cod (O gr.), 26 larger cod as also other fish. 



D. 25—6—02. Kerteminde Ba.v (east coast of Funen), 6—5 fm. Young-fish trawl on 

 bottom, 10 minutes: 17 cod (O gr.), 12 larger cod as also other fish. 



Cod (0-group) were also taken in August 1902 in the Great Belt: 



D. 28—8—02. Kerteminde Bay, 8 fm., small English trawl, 10 minutes: 4 cod (O gr.), 

 2 larger cod as also other fish. 



In the Little Belt and the western Baltic even more of the bottom-stages 

 were taken: 



