THE COD FISHERIES NEAR THE LOFFODEN ISLANDS. .097 



numbers, it may bo said that they, in a manner, show the young codflsh 

 the way to the nearest coast. When measuring about 40 to 50 millimeters 

 in length, they leave the protecting company of the medusa) to seek their 

 food elsewhere ; about this time they seem to gather in larger and 

 smaller schools, which in the beginning, as if loath to renounce their 

 roaming life, roam about for some time near the coast. 



This appears to be one of the most dangerous periods in the life of the 

 young codfish. They are eagerly sought after by various fish-ofprey, 

 especially by the pollack, which arrive about this time, and which cer- 

 tainly destroy millions. These small defenseless young fish would there- 

 fore have but a very poor chance of reaching maturity if their instinct 

 did not teach them to seek the quiet bays and inlets, where, among the 

 algai grazing near the shore, they find sufficient food and shelter from 

 their persecutors. 



After having continued my investigations for some time, I returned 

 to Skraaveu in the beginning of September. Here I likewise found 

 young codfish all along the shore, the largest number dose to the land- 

 ing-places, so that by going a few steps into the water I could catch as 

 many as I wanted. What struck me very much, however, was the 

 circumstance that during all this time they did not seem to have grown 

 much, although a considerable time had elapsed since I had first observed 

 them near the shore. Only every now and then I caught some larger 

 ones, but this was, comparatively speaking, a rare occurrence, the 

 overwhelming majority measuring about GO to 70 millimeters in length. I 

 observed them day after day far into September, but strange to say their 

 average size remained the same. They seemed to have stopped growing 

 entirely, although one might have thought that just at this very time 

 they would grow more rapidly, as they had plenty of food in the num- 

 berless small animals living among the algjB. 



It was evident that here was a curious problem which must be solved, 

 and after I had begun to study the question thoroughly, I soon found its 

 solution. The fish which day after day might be seen near the coast 

 were not, as I had thought in the beginning, the same individuals, but 

 there seemed to be a constant emigration and immigration If we 

 remember that not all the codfish spawn at one and the same time but 

 that there may be a difference of one and even two months, it is evident 

 that there must likewise be a great difference in the development of the 

 young fish. It IS quite probable that some young codfish which had not 

 yet given up their roaming life, were found near the Loffoden till the 

 very end of my stay there, ^. e., the beginning of October. In all proba- 

 bility those young codfish which I saw swarming near the landing-places 

 must be counted under this category. 



But what became of the larger and older fish? The answer to this 

 question was easily found and its correctness could be corroborated by 

 direct investigation. As is the case with other fish of greater size, the 

 smaller ones are generally found near the coast, while the larger ones seek 



