THE COD FISHERIES NEAR THE LOFFODEN ISLANDS. 587 



this eouj'icfciou immediately after ray arrival to several persons, that the 

 fisbiug-seasou this year would extend much further iuto spriug than 

 usual. Nearly all the fishermen, however, left the Loftbden Islands at 

 the usual time, viz, the middle of April, although the sea was still full 

 of fish. As late as the middle of May, when my stay in these islands 

 came to an end, some people living near Skraaveu caught a goodly num- 

 ber of fisb with lines at a very short distance from the coast, and among 

 the femiile fish caught by them there were soaie which had not yet begun 

 tolay their eggs, which had not happened within the memory of any living 

 man so late in the season. 



I considered it of the greatest importance to follow up the development 

 of the young fish as far as possible, and I greatly desired to make the 

 necessary investigations. Even during the last days of my sojourn in 

 the Lofib<len Islands the sea was full of young fish, and wherever I cast 

 out my fine net I was sure to catch some. But on account of the spawn- 

 ing process being retarded this year, these little fish were not much more 

 developed than when 1 left the Loffbden Islands last year, which was a 

 raonth earlier. 



It was not possible for me to extend my stay, as the sum of money 

 placed at my disposal by the government is not very large, and would 

 not allow me to finish my investigation this year. But as the whole 

 matter is of great importance, I hope to be able to continue my inves- 

 tigations next year at the point where I left off" this year, and thus follow 

 the young fish through all the phases of its development, until it leaves 

 its birth-place. 



As regards the prospects of future fishing-seasons, I consider them as 

 exceedingly favorable. The steady south and west winds which pre- 

 vailed all during the spawning-season have probably driven a great 

 portion of the eggs far up the west fiord, where we hope that they will 

 develop undisturbedly ; and thus after a number of years there would 

 again be good fishing near the old but now mostly-deserted fishing sta- 

 tions east of Skraaven and the Molla Islands. This would prove a great 

 advantage to the Loffoden fisheries, as the sea near these stations is much 

 better suited for fishing than farther west. 



C— REPORT FOR 18G6 AND 1867. 



It was my intention in these two years to follow up as far as possible 

 the development of the young codfish and observe its mode of life during its 

 stay in its birthplace. This, in connection with my former investigations 

 of the development of the eggs, I considered as the most natural begin- 

 ning toward obtaining an exact knowledge of the natural history of the 

 codfish, on which future practical investigations could then be based. 

 My observations were made at the two fishing-stations of Skraaven and 

 Brettesnaes, lying near to each other in the East Loftbden, as I thought 

 it best to stick to one locality in order not to lose the thread of my ob- 

 Bervations. 



