THE FISHEKIES OP NOEWAY. 211 



fisherman. This is a mistake, for the herring is a 

 timid and fanciful fish, and abandons certain parts of 

 a coast where it is too much persecuted. For this 

 reason, it frequently happens that the herring fishery 

 in this country varies very much, and is not so good 

 in some seasons as it is at others. 



The herrings make their appearance off the west 

 coast of Norway, in immense shoals (stimle), by about 

 the beginning of January, and are pursued by whales, 

 seals, dolphins, and other large fishes, as well as by 

 gulls and other birds, that devour great quantities of 

 them. The herring gull (Larus argentatus) is always 

 a welcome bird to the fisherman, who knows by its 

 appearance that the herrings are not far off. This 

 species of gull skims the surface of the water, and 

 preys on the young herrings that, in their sportive 

 gambols, come up to breathe, or to throw themselves 

 into the air. 



I may mention, by way of giving an estimate of the 

 importance of this fishery, that no less than 800,000 

 barrels of salted herrings are put on one side during 

 a single season, extending over three or four months, 

 to say nothing of immense numbers that are eaten 

 all over the country while they are fresh. The barrels 

 of salted herrings are exported from Bergen, Stavanger, 

 and other towns on the west coast, not only to ports 

 in the Mediterranean, but also to many places in 

 Norway, for the peasants in this country live for the 

 most part on salted herrings during the winter months. 

 Fresh herrings may be purchased at Christiania, during 

 the season, for about fourpence the score. The Nor- 

 wegian red herring is a small fish, and is generally 

 eaten in a raw state ; it is very inferior in flavour to 

 the Yarmouth bloater. p 2 



