— 30 — 



3) Dr. Wemys Fulton ^ ascertained in 1904 that considerable numbers of spawning cod 

 were obtained by Scotch liners on "The Rough" west of the Utsire Hole (up to 

 1000 cod in a haul) in August, September and October. The fish were personally 

 examined by Dr. Fulton. By hauling a tow-net at depths between 40 m and the 

 surface he obtained on the 8th of October 68 gadoid eggs of a diameter characteristic 

 of the cod. Of these 14 eggs were certainly recognised as cod eggs. Besides these 

 he obtained 3 cod larvae. 



Floats set adrift in this part of the North Sea M^ere found along the coast of 

 Norway from east of the Lindesnses up to Romsdal. 



Spawning cod or cod eggs have thus been proved actually to occur either in the 

 Skagerrack or adjacent waters at nearly all seasons of the year. 



According to my views on the drift of eggs and pelagic fry it is an obvious 

 inference to connect these facts with the continuous arrival of the small cod fry in 

 autumn in the coast waters of the Skagerrack. 



A full and clear understanding is however only to be attained by continued 

 investigations. The aim of such investigations should be a closer description of this 

 summer and autumn spawning and the geographical areas, where it takes place. It 

 will also be necessary to ascertain whether a drift of these eggs and fry actually takes 

 place and how far and in what direction the larvae or the fry are carried by the 

 currents. Such investigations would be of special importance as regards the Norwegian 

 coast of the Skagerrack with its fjords and also to Danish and Swedish waters south 

 of the Skaw. 



6. The distribution of Cod fry in the littoral region 



The numeric occurrence of littoral cod fry in the S0ndeled and Helle Fjords has 

 been examined by the manager of the Fl0devigen hatchery in my presence. 



In these fjords the occurrence of cod fry (of the year) in the bottom stage (littoral 

 fry) was investigated by means of a large series of hauls with a small seine (101—106 

 hauls in the Sondeledfiord, and 21—27 hauls in the Hellefiord). These hauls were 

 made, as far as possible, in the same manner. They were first made in September- 

 October, 1903, and repeated in July— August, 1904, September— October, 1904, July- 

 August, 1905, and September— October, 1905. The seine was 22 fathoms long, 4-20 

 metres deep in the middle. The mesh was about 18 meshes per foot (Norw.) on the 

 wings of the seine. In the middle part of the seine there was a piece, 7'/2 fathoms 

 long of a mesh of 21 meshes per foot (Norw.). In July— August a piece of "Congrès" 

 (strong open) cloth 5-5 metres long and as deep as the seine was inserted in the middle. 



This seine has one great drawback. It does not fish representatively without the 

 fine cloth in the middle. The values obtained during the investigations in September- 

 October with this seine are therefore only relative, because nearly all the small fry 

 under 6 — 7 cm. have escaped through the meshes (21 meshes pr. foot). 



In 1904 about 33-5 millions of cod larvae were brought from Fl0devigen to the 

 interior of Sondeledfiord. In 1905 33 millions of cod larvae were brought from the 

 hatchery to the Sondeledfjord, and 10 millions to the Hellefjord. 



' On the spawning of the cod in the autumn in the North Sea. (Publications de Circonstance, 8, 1904.) 



