746 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



tlie end of January, but for every week it di'ew farther northward and 

 nearer to the open sea. After the beginning of the month of February 

 the herring fishery decreased everywhere, and may be said to have ended 

 with the 15th of said month. There were, however, still later made some 

 hauls of very much mixed great-herring off Grebbestad, at Moro and 

 Eggero, and in the neighborhood of Lysekil, but after March 1 no more 

 such herring was obtained. 



The lodd-herrmg still remained in the fjords, and, just north of Fjell- 

 backa, a lock was closed in March, which required three weeks to be 

 emptied. The receipts on sales amounted to more than $2,160, and the 

 contents of the lock were estimated at not less than 10,000 barrels. 

 Lodd-herring was fished to supply the large demand in the interior 

 l>rovinces until the middle of March, when also this herring disapi)eared. 



It deserves to be mentioned that by the middle of February great 

 quantities of herring-fry appeared in the outer skerries in the district of 

 FjeEbacka. These tiy were about two inches long, and were evidently 

 hatched from roe spawned during the j)revious fall. 



The herring obtained represented various stages of age and develoj)- 

 ment, viz : 



1. Lodd-Jicrring, bigger than those usually found here. The nan^j3 was 

 applied to herring about one year old, or less than two years. 



2. Wearly fuUgroum^ hut immature^ Jierring, with no generative organs 

 yet developed. This herring has been called " i¥rtttie.s-//er>7'»r/," trans- 

 lated " Virgin herring." It is also called ^^ fat-herring,''^ although exceed- 

 ingly lean. The Scotch fishermen who took part in the fishery said that 

 among them such herring was called ^' immature herring," not " mat- 

 ties." These names and classifications not having the same signification 

 in difi'erent countries, because the herring vary in form and size in dif- 

 'ferent localities, there maj be reason to use the name given by the salt- 

 ers and merchants, viz, hrand K. This herrmg was not good, and hardly 

 fit for salting. 



3. Big, dry, outspawncd licrrlng. — Also this herring was less fit for salt- 

 ing. It appeared already in ll^ovember, and became very numerous after 

 New Year. This herring, and also bigger individuals of the preceding 

 form, were by salters named " hrand K Jl." It corresponds to the Scotch 

 " spent herring." 



4. Jn?»m^//e^rf«r7, by foreigners called "Toll hering," or " FuU her- 

 ring." Among them also occurred individuals that had begun spawn- 

 ing, Imit-lierring. This was the only kind really fit to be salted, and 

 when properly cured it made a superior article, which fetched $8.10 per 

 barrel. It was branded KK K. 



Besides these, there were also found all intermediate forms, and at the 

 end of the season was found " i-iuueat-herring" of the winter and spring- 

 spawning, '■'■ grass-herring P 



The various kinds of herring occurred in very different proportions at 

 different iJeriods. Up to January 10, ISTos. 3 and 4 were most abundant ; 



