616 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



shock. The same is repeated every time the waves break, as during 

 the interval of calm the marine animals will again gather among the 

 algse. 



I thought that now I had found a place where all during summer I 

 would be sure to find the necessary material for my investigations 

 regarding the further changes of shape and color which the cod under- 

 goesduringits development. In this, however, I was mistaken. Toward 

 the end of June the number of tish in these places decreased in a re- 

 markable manner ; and I likewise observed that I could never get a tish 

 to bite the usual bait {Arenicola piscatoruyn), even when I dropped my 

 line in places where I knew there must be small cod. Only every now 

 and then I caught a few, and, strange to say, most of these in places 

 where there was sandy bottom, while the algae-bottoms seemed deserted 

 by the fish. Most of the fish I caught also presented a different ap- 

 pearance. I very rarely caught any reddish-brown so-called " algse- 

 fish," with their peculiar golden gloss ; and most of the fish I caught 

 were of a pale greenish color and had a silvery gloss. 



I soon found the cause of this change of the cod's place of sojourn 

 and the consequent change of color. Several times when in calm 

 weather my fishermen had rowed me along the sounds between the 

 numerous little islands, distinguished by their shining white sandy 

 bottom, there was frequently the appearance as of a dark cloud passing 

 over the light bottom, which quickly disappeared when the oars were 

 put in motion. I soon convinced myself that this phenomenon was 

 occasioned by dense schools of small silvery-white fish, which appeared 

 in large numbers in the shallow places near the shore. This little fish 

 is well known under the name of sand-eel (AmmocJytes lancea), and is 

 considered an excellent bait for the pollack. But by examining the 

 contents of the stomach of some cod, I found that the latter does not 

 disdain it either, for it contained scarcely anything else but such fish. 

 I also found the natural explanation of the above-mentioned changes 

 in the one-year-old cod and of their fastidious taste. All the cod, both 

 young and old, had left their former hunting-grounds and had gathered 

 for the pursuit of the dense schools of sand-eels which were approaching 

 the shore. On a beautiful calm day (the -8th of June) I was fortunate 

 enough to observe this. While my fishermen were rowing me across 

 one of those G-10 fathom-deep inlets leading to the usual sand-eel places, 

 I could see distinctly against the light sandy bottom enormous schools 

 of large fish, all turning their heads in the same direction, viz, toward 

 the shore. 1 immediately got out my line, thinking I would make a big 

 haul in places where no fisher had ever dreamed of looking for large 

 cod. But I was disappointed. The s^w manner in which these fish 

 moved showed that they were not very hungry, but had already taken 

 a good breakfast. Although I put the daintiest pieces of shining sand- 

 eel on my hook, 1 could not get a single fish to bite. As soon as the 

 hook got near the fish they came swarming toward it from all sides, but 



