140 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [14] 
tinguished themselves in those very respects in which the spring her- 
ring underwent a change. The great herring, moreover, were much 
fatter than the spring herring. They evidently lived under more 
favorable conditions. Should this be an indication of a more intimate 
connection between the occurrence of the spring herring and that of the 
great herring? We are justified in asking this yuestion; but we can- 
not enter further upon this subject, because we still lack more reliable 
information. The changes through which the spring herring passed 
need much more accurate investigation. That the great herring only 
showed themselves several years after these changes had taken place: 
forms no serious objection to the supposition that there is an intimate 
connection between the two kinds of herring. All that can be said is. 
that the great herring did not show themselves near the coast till that 
time 
After this brief review of the great-herring fisheries we will return to: 
the first year when there were indications that the spring-herring fish- 
eries would come to an end with a view of describing a very remarkable 
occurrence of herring about that time, in connection with the spring- 
herring fisheries which have now again begun to spring up on our coasts.. 
In 1869, as in the preceding year, the spring-herring fisheries com- 
menced very late, we may say not till the 3d of February. But accord- 
ing to the reports of the superintendents a few spring herring mixed 
with fat herring were caught near Udsire as early as the 9th of Jan- 
uary. The reports give no further details as to the quality of the her- 
ring. In a newspaper article, published about that time, we read as- 
follows: “It seems now to be absolutely certain, that the birds which 
have recently been seen in the Udsirefiord have accompanied large 
shoals of small herring (probably young spring herring) of the same 
size as the ‘Christiania herring,’ mixed with fat herring, some of which 
contained roe and milt like other spring herring.” These herring also 
showed themselves in other places besides Udsire. Thus the superin- 
tendents report that herring of different kinds were noticed near the 
southwestern point of Karmdé, and the newspaper article above referred 
to also contains the following: ‘‘Such small herring, mixed with fat 
herring, have also appeared about New Year in large numbers in sey- 
eral places, especially in the Skjoldsfiord and Forresfiord, in which lat- 
ter inlet a great many were caught.” 
Both the fact that the herring were mixed and the time when they 
appeared, seem to indicate that these herring were “mixed herring” or 
‘new herring,” which began to. appear in 1869, at the very time when 
the changes in the occurrence of the spring herring above referred to 
began to show themselves. The description of the herring suits the 
“new herring” in every particular. Nobody, however, thought it worth 
his while to examine further into this matter. During the following 
year these herring appeared in enormous numbers. 
A considerable time prior to the beginning of the spring-herring fish- 
