JOHAN HJORT. M.-N. Kl. 



partly, and especially, on their importance in respect to the fisheries, 

 especially that of the West Coast Spring Herring Fishery, and the East 

 Coast Herring Fishery. 



Everyone who is acquainted with the waters along the Southern and 

 Western Coasts of Norway will understand the difficulties associated with 

 even the most trifling investigations at sea, especially during the severe 

 seasons. On account, therefore, of stormy weather, many plans had to 

 be given up or altered, while the great distance covered by the field of 

 operations has caused the work to be both costly and laborious. Under 

 such circumstances the present treatise is, in many respects, wanting. It 

 must be regarded as an attempt to obtain the first definite glance into the 

 change of currents along the Norwegian Coast, and their influence on the 

 living organisms of the deep. 



From the accompanjing hydrographical tables it will be seen, that I 

 have partly instituted deep sea researches, and also have induced the 

 masters of numerous steamers to collect a series of samples of water 

 during their voyages across the North Sea and Skagerak, and observations 

 of the temperature. The results derived from these latter materials have 

 been forwarded to Professor Dr. 0. Petterson of Stockholm, who, together 

 with his own materials, have used them in the construction of synoptical 

 surface charts, showing the amount of salt contained, and the variations 

 of temperature at the various seasons in the North Sea, Skagerak and 

 Cattegat. Five of these synoptical charts have been introduced into this 

 work, viz., those for August 1893, November 1893, February and No- 

 vember 1894, and for February 1895 (A — E). The chart for August 

 1893, has been framed entirely from the Swedish philosophers' investiga- 

 tions, whilst the other four contain what I sent in. in respect to various 

 steamship reports. (See the Hydrographical Tables). 



In November 1893, deep sea investigations were commenced from 

 His Norwegian Majesty's Ship »Heimdal«. From the 12th to 24th No- 

 vember, a number of investigations were made in the Christiania Fjord, as 

 well as three sectional investigations of the Norwegian Channel off Eker- 

 sund, Hardanger Fjord and Sogne Fjord. During February and March 

 of the winter of 1894, I kept to the West Coast Spring Herring Fishery. 

 At that time it was my plan to carry out similar sectional investigations 

 of the Norwegian Channel as during the previous November, but, on 

 account of unusually stormj^ weather, I only succeeded in extending the 

 investigations to a few miles from land, and I had, therefore, to confine 

 myself to local investigations. 



In the Summer of 1894, I also examined, at various places, the waters 

 along the shores of the West Coast, and during the Autumn of 1894, I 

 succeeded in organizing a systematic research of the fishing waters in the 



