— 82 — 



If we now regard the general current chart of the Norwegian Sea (fig. 3), on 

 which the conditions outlined above in the North Sea and in the Skager Rak are also 

 represented, we see that a strong current runs along the Norwegian coast in a north- 

 easterly direction both from the Atlantic Ocean and the northernmost part of the North 

 Sea Bank as from the Romsdal Bank; it is the same stream that the current measure- 

 ments have already found (see fig. 7, Station 307). This current carries with it large 

 quantities of eggs and young fishes towards the north, partly along the Norwegian coast 

 and partly out into the open sea. Earlier papers have described the occurrence out in 

 the Norwegian Sea of these young fishes, which have been carried there by the currents '. 

 We may refer here to Damas' report which describes in detail the changes observed in 

 the different years during which investigations were made. Of great importance was the 

 result, that the dispersion of the young fishes extends to very different distances from 

 the land in the different years. 



On the Charts (figs. 12, 14 and 15) the outer limits for the greatest distance from 

 land at which the young fishes were taken in the Norwegian Sea, are represented by 

 the dotted lines. These outer limits are very far distant from the nearest coastal banks, 

 and the young fishes must consequently have been carried by the current very far from 

 the original spawning place, wherever it may have been. Their occurrence at Bear Island 

 is a sufficient proof of this. 



From the Iceland Bank we also have very interesting evidenqp regarding the drift 

 of the pelagic stages, but here the movement owing to the direction of the currents has 

 an essentially different character. 



Schmidt's report gives a picture of these very interesting conditions. The Danish 

 research steamer made four cruises round Iceland in the year 1904 with the following 

 results : 



1. In April the cod eggs were found from the "Horns" as far as Cape North (see 

 Chart fig. 26). Most were on the south coast, but on the north coast numerous hauls 

 gave not a single egg. 



2. In the period from May 27th to June 2nd there were still no eggs on the north 

 and east coasts, on the other hand the eggs and pelagic fry were now more numerous 

 on the west than on the south coast. 



3. In July there was still nothing to be found on the east coast, but the pelagic fry 

 were present in abundance on the north coast as far as Cape Langanes. 



4. In August all the pelagic fry had disappeared from the south and west coasts; 

 on the other hand, they were very numerous on the north coast and northernmost part 

 of the east coast, most numerous in the neighbourhood of Cape Langanes. 



This is a striking example of how the current carries with it enormous quantities of 

 eggs and young fishes, from the south coast to the west coast, from there to the north 

 coast and again from here along to the east coast. In this case however the influence 

 of the current does not tend to carry the young fish away from land; the movement 

 follows the coast much more, in contrast to what occurs on the eastern side of the Nor- 

 wegian Sea. 



We must restrict ourselves here to these examples of the great influence of the cur- 

 rents on the passive movements of the earliest stages of the gadoids and merely refer for 



I General Report, Appendix G. Rapports et Procès-Verbaux, Vol. III. 



