- 4 - 



for the investigations and with regard to the areas of work of each of the participating 

 countries, as also regarding certain leading points in the investigations. 



Concerning the gadoid species the following may especially be mentioned: The 

 Convener with the agreement of Professor Heincke gave as one of the principal tasks, 

 the utilization of the occurrence of the plankton eggs for the description of the distribution 

 of the spawning fishes. As a second important task was given, the study of the move- 

 ments (the passive wanderings) of the eggs during their development to larvae and young 

 fishes, and it was here resolved to investigate the movements and distribution of the older 

 stages by means of fisheries experiments and by the study of statistics. The plan of 

 work of the Committee was summarized in the following sentences: 



"1. An attempt should be made by means of new fishing experiments and with the 

 help of statistics, to depict the state of things prevalent in the summer period. 



2. The same object should be aimed at for the winter, in relation to which the 

 distribution of planktonic eggs should be especially studied. 



3. The richest possible material should be collected as regards the occurrence of the 

 young stages of the cod". 



With regard also to the herring fisheries a plan was agreed upon for the collection 

 of material to throw light on the distribution or resorts of the herring during the different 

 seasons; and it was further resolved to investigate the question of the different local 

 forms of the herring and their distribution in the sea. 



On the basis of this programme a large number of investigations have been carried 

 out in the years 1903—06 and a very considerable material has been collected, both of 

 a biological nature (eggs, larvae, young fishes, measurement of fishes etc.) as also of a 

 statistical kind from the special fisheries experiments and the catches of the practical 

 fishermen. As will be seen from the list on page 14, considerable material has from time 

 to time been received by the Convener from the different members of the Committee. 



At the conferences of the Committee during these years, namely in Copenhagen, 

 February 1903', Hamburg, February 1904% Copenhagen, July 19053 and in Amsterdam 4, 

 February 1906, the gradually accumulating results have been discussed and new and im- 

 portant data brought forward by the members of the Committee. The Convener reported 

 on the progress of the work at the meetings of 1903, 1904 and 1906; thus, the "Bericht 

 über die Thätigkeit der Kommission A" was laid as manuscript before the meeting in 

 Hamburg, and a second report "Zur Naturgeschichte der Gadiden in der nördlichen 

 Nordsee" in Amsterdam. Important contributions towards a solution of the tasks under- 

 taken have been given by various members of the Committee; e. g. the papers printed in 

 Vol. Ill of the "Procès-Verbaux" by Heincke, Henking, Hjort and Petersen. 



Regarding the work of these years it may be said in general, that they must have 

 essentially contributed, (i)to orientate the researches undertaken by the different countries 



1 Procès- Verbaux, Vol. I, p. 114. et seq. 



2 Procès-Verbaux, Vol. 11, p. 66. 



3 Procès- Verbaux, Vol. IV, p. < 3 >, 



4 Procès- Verbaux, Vol, VI, p- ( 3 )• • 



