G42 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



somewhat earlier. I was tlius very naturally led to think of the so- 

 called " mixed herring," which has frightened people so much, because 

 its occurrence was considered as an indication that the genuine spring- 

 herrings would disappear. With regard to this " mixed herring " thefish- 

 ermen could not mention any other difference between it and the spring- 

 lierring save that it is fatter, therefore of a better quality, only some- 

 what smaller, and spawns a little earlier. Although I have not person- 

 ally examined this so-called *' mixed herring," I nevertheless will here 

 express my conviction that it is nothing else but summer-herring in 

 its transition-stage towards *' Graaben " herring; in other words, the 

 youngest spring-herring, which in the following year will return as gen- 

 uine " Graaben " herring.' 



But, people will say, the " mixed herring" is a kind of herring for- 

 merly quite uukuown, which only has made its appearance on our coasts 

 during the last few years. This, in my opinion, erroneous view of the 

 matter, is explained in a very natural manner by the circumstance that 

 formerly no attention had been paid to it, because it was mixed with the 

 "Graaben" herriug, .while just during the last few years it has been 

 less mixed with these, since the great mass of the older herring (" Graa- 

 ben herring") coming in from the sea have spawned on the outer bot- 

 toms. I can, therefore, not see in the unusually large number of these 

 " mixed herrings," which have made their appearance during the last 

 few years, any indications that the spring-herrings will disappear; on 

 the contrary, it seems to me to indicate the very opposite. 



As will be seen from the above, the conditions of development and 

 mode of life of the herring correspond in every respect with the results 

 of my careful observations of the life of the cod. Here, likewise, it was 

 thought that there were two different varieties, one belonging to the 

 open sea and one to the coast. 1 have proved, however, and as I think 

 in an incontrovertible manner, that the coast variety is the same fish as 

 the open-sea variety, only differiug in age. Just as the winter-cod, 

 or offspring of the skrei, spends the first years of its life near the coast 

 iind ouly at a more advanced age migrates to the distant banks, thus 

 j-.lso do the offspring of the spriugherring spend the first years of their 

 life near the coast, and under the name of " fat-herring" gather in large 

 schools during summer in order to feed on the numerous small marine 

 animals which current and wind have piled up in the different fiords 

 and bays. 



Since the determination of the fact that the summer-herring, or fat- 

 herring, is not a species or variety of herring different from the spring- 

 herring, but only its offspring at different ages, has been sufficiently 

 proved, our views of the future of the spring herring fisheries must be 

 considerably mo<lified. If, as has been supposed, the spring-herring 

 fisheries on our western coast would cease completely, because the 

 schools of spring-herrings either decreased in number or migrated to 

 other coasts, a corresponding decrease of the summer-herrings ought to 



