— 67 — JOHS. SCHMIDT 



also in agreement with the fact, that the older specimens of Gadus Esniarki are wanting or 

 rare on these coasts, as we have nowhere obtained them there in our hauls with the trawl. 



2. The Faeroes 



During our investigations in May 1904 and 1905 the pelagic fry of Gadus Esmarki 

 were found in considerable numbers (e.g. 191 and 42 specimens per half hour's haul), and 

 practically everywhere within the 200-meter line where hauls were made at the depths in 

 which the fry occur*. 



The majority in May were small, under 1 cm., which shows that the spawning time 

 is almost at the same period as or a little earlier than at South Iceland, namely, in April 

 or March. In June no investigations were made at the Faeroes, but in July the pelagic 

 fry were again found in very considerable quantities (up to 50 specimens per half hour's 

 haul) and had then a length of P/a — S'/s cm. (the majority 2^h and 3 cm.). 



Altogether our investigations show that Gadus Esmarki spawns in considerable 

 quantities at the Faeroes, and this also agrees with the fact that it spawns in large 

 numbers both at Iceland and in the northern parts of the North Sea. 



3. British Isles 



Mc Intosh and Masterman (1. c. p. 273—74) have not identified the eggs of Gadus Es- 

 marki, but from an examination of the ovaries of this fish at the end of March they 

 come to the conclusion, that the spawning time on the east coast of Scotland must be 

 near and that it must probably be in April. To judge from our hauls in the beginning 

 of May 1905 (Stat. 19, 20 etc.) off the Moray Firth, this view is correct yet with the 

 addition that spawning may also take place earlier, from March or rather February 

 onwards, since our specimens as the tables show were mostly small under 1 cm., but some 

 are from 11/2—2^/2 cm. in length. That G. Esmarki must spawn here on the east coast 

 of Scotland in great quantities is shown by these hauls at the stations off the Moray 

 Firth where we obtained up to 100, 182 and 714 specimens per half hour. 



On the west coast of Scotland the pelagic fry of Gadus Esmarki occur in practi- 

 cally all our hauls within the 200-meter line at the end of May and in June, and often 

 in very considerable numbers, as for example 2220, 1997 and 330 specimens per half hour. 

 At the end of May (1905) most had a length of ca. 1 — P/2 cm., whilst late in June (1906) 

 the majority were over 2^/2 cm. 



With regard to Ireland Holt (Survey of Fishing Grounds, West Coast of Ireland, 

 p. 399) states that he found ripe females in the beginning of April, and the pelagic eggs 

 are given by Holt as having been found in small numbers in April. 



From our investigations with the "Thor" in May and June as also from samples kindly 

 sent me for determination by Mr. E. W. L. Holt, it appears that the fry of Gadus Esmarki 

 occur everywhere on the Irish coasts, although not in such large numbers as farther to 

 the north on the coasts of Scotland, nor in such large quantities as the fry of the nearly 

 related Gadus minutus. The largest number we have taken in one haul (of one hour) 

 was 24 at St. 85 on June 21st 1906. Amongst the Irish samples which contain Gadus 



' That so many stations in May 1904 on the line in an easterly direction from the Faeroes are 

 shown hlack on the Chart, is due to the fact that at these stations we only made hauls close to the sur- 

 face, where the young of this species do not occur. 



9* 



