130 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [4] 
commence earlier every year, whilst towards the end of the period they 
gradually begin later. With regard to localities, the herring fisheries 
move in a certain direction, thus, e. g—according to Boeck—in Bohus- 
liin and in our southern spring-herring district, in a northerly direction, 
till they reach a point where the fisheries cease. 
Similar changes of a regular character have not only been observed on 
our coast, but also on the coast of Scotland. According to Mr. Winth« r* 
the herring fisheries in the Sound were, durmg the herring period that 
ended in 1875, gradually extended later into the season. In the Great 
Belt a gradual northward movement of the herring has been observed.t 
In France a similar phenomenon is said to have been observed during 
the sardine fisheries, and it therefore seems that these phenomena are 
of a more general character. 
In our southern spring-herring district the following changes as to the 
time of commencement of the fisheries have been observed: In 1808, 
therefore, in the beginning of our last herring period, the fisheries at 
Skudesnes commenced on the 6th February. During the following years 
they gradually commenced earlier, in 1814 on the Ist of February, in 1815 
on the 31st of January, in 1817 on January 30th, and from that time 
on they began in January—the dates varying somewhat—for a long 
number of years. During the years 1844 to 1847 the fisheries commenced 
partly in January and partly in December. From 1848 the first herring 
were regularly caught in December, and this lasted till 1859. From 
1860 the herring again commenced to arrive in January, and in 1869 
the spring-herring fisheries proper did not commence till the 3d February. 
As regards locality, it was observed that during the latter part of the 
“herring period” the herring left their southern spawning places near 
Skudesnes and the Hviting Islands, and gradually moved farther north, 
so that towards the end of the period the principal fisheries were carried 
on near Karmoe. 
The year 1869 was distinguished by the late arrival of the herring, 
and by the fishing stations being far north, as well as by other peculiar 
features. T'rom 1860, when the herring fisheries for the first time dur- 
ing the “ period” commenced late in the season, considerable masses of 
herring came near the coast, and for several years the fisheries were very. 
good. Even as late as 1868 there were exceedingly successful spring 
herring fisheries in the southern district, about 500,000 barrels of fish 
being caught. <A significant change, however, took place in 1869. 
Lieutenant Heyerdahl, the superintendent of the southern district, says: 
“Tt was very generally noticed in the our district that the schools of 
herring were not of the same size as in former years this must have 
*Tidsskrift for Fiskeri, new series, iii, 1. 
tIn the Sound there can hardly be any such movement, as it contains only one favor- 
able spawning place. 
tSee Boeck: Om Silden og Silde-fiskerierne, and the reports of the different superin- 
tendenta. 
