— 100 — 



early in June, but even in July I found specimens with running spawn. 1 have found the 

 spawning ling in greatest numbers at ca. 150 — 250 meters depth, where the bottom temp- 

 erature was ca. 7° or a little above. The pelagic eggs and fry of the ling were also 

 taken at various places on the south coast as also on the most southerly part of the 

 west coast, but not on the most northerly part of the west coast and in any large number 

 only at the south coast (cf. whiting, p. 60). 



The postlarval ling were not yet found in April and May, and but few even in June. 

 It was not until July (on the south coast) that great numbers were taken. It was remark- 

 able also that Vh months later, at the end of August, we could no longer find a single 

 specimen at the places where they were previously in abundance ^ Most of the specimens 

 taken in mid-July on the south coast were small about 1 cm., which indicates that they 

 had not been spawned before May at any rate, and this is in agreement with the obser- 

 vations on spawning females. 



From the Chart, which it should be remarked applies to the months of April, May, 

 June, July, August and September, it will be seen that the postlarval ling were never 

 found on the east or north coasts but only on the south and west, thus in the warm- 

 est parts of the Icelandic waters. With this distribution of the postlarval fry 

 agrees the distribution of the adult ling and therewith the ling fishery at Iceland, as the 

 quantities are greatest on the south coast and decrease more and more as we go westwards 

 round the island (in the direction of the hands of a clock), so that on the east coast, at 

 any rate on the northern half, no or extremely few ling are fished^. 



The largest numbers of postlarval ling we took in a single haul were 280 and 207 

 (St. 189, 1904 and 48, 1908, between Westman Isles and Reykjanes). Reducing the figures 

 to hauls of half an hour, the largest numbers were 414, 70, 36, 34 and 27, which shows 

 sufficiently well that the ling reproduces on the south coast of Iceland in large quantities. 



2. The Faeroes 



In April and May (1903, 1904 and 1905) the pelagic fry of the ling were not yet 

 found and in June and July, the period, when according to experience elsewhere, there 

 was the greatest chance of finding them, we were not working at the Fseroes. It was 

 only in 1905 on our voyage to Iceland that we had some few hauls at the Fseroes at 

 the end of July, and in several of these the fry of the ling (length about 1 cm.) were 

 taken. The largest number was 25 specimens per half hour's haul. Further, a few spec- 

 imens were taken in August 1903. 



There is no doubt however that the lings spawns in great numbers at the Faeroes. 

 St. 125 1905 alone shows this , but in May I have also found numerous ling eggs and 

 seen the fishermen bringing home quantities of large female ling with running spawn. To 



' The most probable explanation for the non-discovery of the older postlarval ling is, to my mind, 

 that these live always very deep down in the water, as only very few hauls in deep water were then made; 

 but the reason may also be that their pelagic life is but short. 



^ This I conclude from my journal showing the catches of Norwegian fishing steamers fishing in the 

 summer with long lines in depths of 50 — 150 fathoms on the east coast and landing their fish in Seydis 

 Fjord. These show that no ling were taken there. 



