THE SALT-WATER FISHERIES OF BOHUSLAN. 189 



It lias even been supposed that some schools of herrings spawn on the 

 banks far out in the open sea, svithout ever approaching the coast for 

 that purpose. 



Those herrings which remain stationary near a coast, or which only go 

 a very short distance from it, will best be called "coast-herrings," to dis- 

 tinguish them from the more pelagian or ' ' sea herrings." This difference, 

 although only a relative one, is certainly one which has a considerable 

 influence on the fisheries. 



With regard to the place of sojoiu'u and its influence on the character 

 of the herring, a number of different opinions have been advanced in 

 course of time. It is well known from the herring-fisheries in the west- 

 ern part of the North Sea, and especially from the Dutch fisheries, that 

 the herrings, both before and after spawning, are found in large numbers 

 at a considerable distance from the land ; and that the herring-fisheries 

 on the eastern and southern coasts of Great Britain proved successful 

 at certain regular intervals ; the supposition therefore seemed highly 

 probable that it was the same school of herrings touching the English 

 coasts on their southward journey, and people seemed naturally inclined 

 to ascribe to the herring a decidedly pelagian character, and from these 

 originally popular opinions Anderson, and, later, Giljyin, developed their 

 strange theories of the migrations of the herring. On the western coast 

 of Scandinavia people had certainly not been in a position, like those on 

 the eastern coast of Great Britain, to base their vi6ws on the course of 

 the floating-net fisheries ; but the opinion had gradually gained ground 

 (probably through observations made by seamen and fishermen) that the 

 herrings duriug the time they were not near the coast lived out in the 

 open sea in a northwesterly direction from the region which they used 

 to A'isit for the purpose of spawning. Gradually, however, Anderson^s 

 migration theory gained adherence here and there among the educated 

 classes. Thereupon this theory was gradually opposed by Block, Lace- 

 l)Me, MacCuUoch, and J^ilsson, the last-mentioned one specially endeav- 

 oring to prove the entirely littoral character of the herring, an opinion 

 which, though strongly opposed by fishermen, gradually'- gained numer- 

 ous adherents among the naturalists, but which nevertheless is only 

 correct in part, only being applicable to comparatively small schools of 

 herrings. In opposition to this too one-sided opinion of Professor JSllsson , 

 Axel Boeck. has maintained the old distinction made by the fishermen 

 from time immemorial between " sea-herrings" and "coast-herrings," but 

 has not gone so far as to ascribe to the former a thoroughly i^elagian 

 character. This has been done, however, on truly scientific grounds by 

 Prof. G. 0. Sars; and, finally, G. Winther and myself have more in detail 

 developed the views which have here been presented regarding the chief 

 place of sojourn of the herrings. 



37. The opinion that the herring is a surface-fisli has only recently be- 

 gun to gain ground in scientific circles, although, strange to say, it had 

 for a long time been quite prevalent among the fishermen. Herring- 



