1 895 ^*0 9 Fm)R.-BIOL. STI'DIES OF THE XORW. FISHERIES. 6l 



All these examples shew that the influx of the Herrings, during the 

 -pawning migration in the winter, is dependent, to the greatest extent, 

 on the temperature — and the salineness, the currents. During mild — 

 often stormy — Winters, when the coast is washed with water of a high 

 temperature and great saUneness, the Xorth Sea Water, or the saltest 

 Bank \\'ater, we see that an influxion right up to the land, to sounds 

 and bays of but a few fathoms in depth, may take place. In cold — 

 often calm — Winters, when the Baltic Current flows along the coast, 

 and we find a thick layer of cold water covering the shallow spawning 

 places, we see the shoals of Herrings stop far out on the outer margin 

 of the shallows, and spawn on their stretches of sheU-sand. The Baltic 

 Current and the fresher layers appear, therefore, to drive the shoals of 

 fish aii'ay from the land. The examples, cited above, can be doubled 

 and trebled, and, in our Fishery- Reports, it could be hard to find any 

 instance mentioned of an influxion occurring under other conditions than 

 those abo\"e given. 



I shall, however, also mention what Boeck reports from former times : 

 In 1836, the fisher}-, until the middle of February, was carried on at 

 Skudesnæs, Hvidingsoerne (Islands), Haugesund and up to Espevær. 

 After that the weather became cold, and there was a good surface of 

 snow for traffic on the mainland. Immense shoals of Herrings were 

 seen off the coast from Skudesnæs to Kinn, and but few were caught 

 before the middle of March. From the commencement of 1828, to the 

 1 2th Januar)' of that year, the weather was calm and cold, as a rule 

 — 6" Reaumur. On the 6th, a shoal of herrings poured into Skudes- 

 næs. but, contrarj- to the general rule, the fishing began as early as the 

 8th. thus before the frost had disappeared. On the other hand, the 

 shoals kept down deep so long as the severe cold continued, and the 

 fishing was. consequentiy, not good. The fishing proved a failure, too, 

 at Flekkefjord, owing to the same cause, and the best hauls were made 



