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herring has in certain periods failed almost entirely to 
appear. It is said to have been absent from the coast from 
1784 to 1808, and the same may now be said to have been 
the case since 1873, inasmuch as this fishery, which in good 
years gave a result of upwards of half a million of barrels, 
-has during the last twenty years usually amounted to only 
50,000 to 100,000 barrels. It remains for the future to sat- 
isfactorily explain the cause of this irregularity. 
In the sixties the so-called ‘‘Storsild’’? (large herring, 
likewise containing roe or milt) began to come in to the 
coast of Nordland in immense schools. This fishery, 
which mainly occurred during October to December, be- 
came in short time of great importance. There were, for 
instance, in the first half of the seventies exported 300,000 
to 400,000 barrels annually, and in 1872 even upward of 
600,000 barrels. It fell, however; away just as suddenly 
as it had grown into importance, and in 1875 it ceased 
entirely. 
The herring fishery which in later years has attracted 
the most attention is, however, the fat-herring (summer 
herring) fishery. It is no new fishery; in fact, very old, 
but as long as spring herring and ‘‘ Storsild”’ was plenti- 
ful it was comparatively neglected. 
Contrary to the first mentioned species of herring, the 
fat-herring is a matje herring, contains neither roe nor 
milt, but, when of the genuine description, its belly is 
filled with fat. The best fishing season is August, Septem- 
ber and part of October, but it may occasionally commence 
even as early as July, and it very often extends far into 
November. This fishery takes place along the entire coast® 
from Bergen to Troms6, as a rule, however, between 64° 
and 70° N. lat. The export of fat-herring has, since the 
middle of the seventies, generally amounted to 500,000 and 
at times even up to nearly 1,000,000 barrels a year. 
The Norwegian fat-herring, which is caught during the 
autumn months, when it is in its best condition, is con- 
