— Al. — 
The small herring are taken, as will be seen from the above, all along the coast, but 
in increasing numbers farther to the north. The fat herring are taken, for by far the 
greater part, within the range from Trondhjemsfjord to the Tromse district, the large 
herring off the coasts of the Romsdal and southern Trondhjem distriet, while by far 
the greater part of the spring herring are taken in the West Coast waters. (Fig. 4). 
The proportional distribution of the yield among the different sorts as shown in the 
figures for 1908 may probably be taken as generally representative; fluctuations can, 
however, occur. The majority of fat herring may for instance be found to fall to the 
south, in the Trondelagen district, or north, 
toward Tromss. More than a generation 
ago, the large herring were taken in 
greatest numbers in the Nordland district, 
and the locality of greatest capture of 
spring herrings may shift southwards to 
the Skagerak, or northwards along the 
coast. 
FINMARKEN 
Popular classification of the different 
varieties. 
The method of distinguishing between 
the four sorts of fish, which has been in 
use for a great number of years, is based 
principally upon the size, degree of fatness, 
and development of the genital organs 
(ovaries and milt). 
The small herring do not exceed 19cm. 
in length, the ovary or milt is, at the ut- 
most, only visible as a thin thread below 
the spine; in point of fatness they are far 
inferior to the fat herring. 
The fat herring vary as a rule in size 
from 19 to 26cm., the genital organs of | N 
the lesser fish are very small, incipient Fig. 4. 
developement being noticeable in the case 
of the larger. The adipose deposit however, in the flesh and round the intestines 
(“ister”) is much more developed than in any other class of herring. 
The large herring are superior in size, running as a rule from 27—32 cm., their ge- 
nital organs are, from the autumn, in advancing developement towards maturity. This 
class of fish thus corresponds to that known in the North Sea fishery as “fulls”. In the 
course of this developement the adipose deposit gradually decreases in quantity, and 
the fish finally pass, by imperceptible degrees, into the class of spring herring, which 
are the spawning fish. Among these latter, the ovaries are in January firm, in February 
and March slack, and in April entirely spent, the fish at this time being also thin and 
in poor condition. 
Small herring and fat herring are thus immature fish, the large and spring herring 
ee 
1) 
ER 
un : 
SES 
> 
