[27] THE SPRING HERRING FISHERIES OF NORWAY. 153 
even measured 34, but these were not very frequent. Asa general rule 
the spring herring measured 31 to 33 centimeters, which must be con- 
sidered a very good length. It must, however, be remembered, that 
these measurements apply to herring caught in nets, on the size of the 
meshes of which the size of the herring caught in them will more or 
less depend. In order to determine the exact size of the herring, we 
would have to measure herring caught in seines, but during my stay 
in the fishing district no fish were so caught. Iam therefore not yet 
prepared to say to what extent the present herring have in general 
reached the size of the former spring herring. 
According to the statements of the fishermen, both the roe and the 
milt had also become further developed. I possess, however, no reliable 
information on this point. It is certain that our present spring herring 
at the time of their arrival near our coasts are not as fully prepared for 
spawning as the old spring herring; they are not ready to spawn till 
the latter portion of their stay near the coast; this has particularly 
been observed during the season of 1879-80, when most of the herring 
spawned in February. Herring which I examined on the 11th and 12th 
February of the present year had loose roe and milt. During these 
very days, and possibly somewhat earlier, the herring had begun to 
spawn. 
Later in the season there were constant indications of spawning; the 
nets were full of roe, the water was colored by the milt, and herring, 
when caught, emitted roe or milt upon the slightest pressure. On the 
20th of February herring were caught which had almost done spawn- 
ing. 
Whilst but few herring showed themselves near the coast during the 
first years after 1870, when the transition from ‘‘new herring” to 
spring herring commenced, they gradually began to increase in num- 
ber from that time. So far, however, no herring mountains, like those 
which were common in olden times, have been*observed. The yield 
‘per annum of the fisheries has been as follows during the period 1876, 
1880: in 1876 it was 9,500 barrels, in 1877 about 25,000, in 1878 about 
32,000, in 1879 about 63,400,* and in 1880 only 30,000, this last low 
figure being caused, not by any decrease in the number of fish, but prin- 
cipally by the long-continued stormy weather, which prevented the fish- 
ermen from going to sea. 
Only in the southern districts have the fisheries been of any account. 
Near Skudeses there was considerable seine fishing, and it will be in- 
teresting to see whether the herring will again visit this southern point, 
which, in their northward migration, they left during the last ‘herring 
period.” 
It is acharacteristic peculiarity of our present spring herring caused, 
*According to J. WM. Nymann’s report made to the government of the Stavanger dis- 
trict. From the newspaper reports it appears that of this number 8,000 barrels were 
caught near Sdndmére. ; 
