— 196 — 
Varying quantity of liver in the size groups compared with fluctuations in 
the average amount of liver in the skrei from year to year. 
A point of great significance is the fact that these curves all exhibit far greater fluc- 
tuations than the curve for quantity of liver from Lofoten for the years 1880—1912, 
which we have frequently had 
occasion to refer to in the foregoing. 37 
Thus we find, within one and the 7 | 
same sample of skrei, greater fluctu- 
ations in the quantity of liver than $ — Sowaagen *% 
are discernible in the curve showing ce AGH “Ty 
the average quantity of same for the 
last 30 years. The lowest figure 
which occurs during this period is 
‘abt. 0.5 hl. per 1,000 fish (in 1903) © 
the highest being somewhat over 3 hl. 
The same fluctuations are apparent 5 
in the sample from Rost, (14th April 
1913) within the groups between 64 
and 94cm. length. 
If the skrei in 1913 had con- 
sisted exclusively of fish 65 cm. 3 
long, we should thus im all pro- 
bability have had, during this year, 2 
the smallest quantity of liver ever 
known. If, on the other hand, the 
yield had been composed of fish 
about 90cm. in length, the quantity 
Samos Honningsvaag Ys 
--- Vardo % 
Ne 
of liver would have exceeded that S x Ss 3S x = $ En È SNS 
: à. & 1 1 5 > i ; 
of any previous year. The fluctu : Ws WOE hs sae dad 
> nm n ~ 
ations in the average quantity of 
liver in the skrei from year to year 
are thus found to lie within such 
limits as to render it possible to 
attribute them to the variations in size (length or weight) of the fish which are known to 
occur in the shoals. 
We have seen in the previous chapter, that the fishery authorities at Lofoten, be- 
sides recording the average annual amount of liver and roe, also furnish statements 
as to the average weight of the fish for each year, which will be found graphically illu- 
strated in figure 99, embracing the period from 1880—1912. It is interesting to 
compare these two curves — the weight of liver and the weight of fish — for these years; 
Fig. 123 furnishes a comparative view of these factors, the first curve indicating the weight 
of fish, the second that of the liver, and the third that of the roe. It will be seen that 
the three curves exhibit the most conspicuous similarity; it would indeed be hard to 
find an instance of curves of this nature more closely coinciding. This close resemblance 
is, moreover, especially valuable, illustrating as it does a relation between different fac- 
Fig. 122. Quantity of liver for each 5 cm. group. 
Hl. liver per 1,000 Cod of each 5 cm. group. 
