HERRING FISHERY OF CANADA 43 



„ The results of Dr. Hjort's investigations are an im- 



Simtlanty of - ,. . , , , mi • ^ ^^ 



European and portant addition to our knowledge. Ihe interesting 



Canadian series, or systems of types, which have been determined 



by the investigations in Europe, have been proved by 



him to have, on the western side of the Atlantic, a close parallel, both 



with regard to racial characters and rate of growth. This addition to 



our knowledge justifies a few remarks regarding the conditions under 



which the different types live. 



The Irish and the Nova Scotian herrings — distinguished by their 

 excessive growth, their spawning in the autumn, their more numerous 

 keel scales — ^both belong to the open Atlantic waters, these waters being 

 marked by a high salinity and more limited changes in temperature 

 during the different seasons. 



The Norwegian and Newfoundland herrings, it must be noted, 

 also belong to the open sea, but the water is of less salinity and is 

 mixed with cold, f riesh water from the land or from the Arctic. They 

 live under a more marked boreal climate and amidst a typical boreal 

 fauna. The difference between summer and winter is very marked 

 in their surroundings, both with regard to temperature and biological 

 conditions. 



The southern portion of the gulf of St. Lawrence corresponds tp 

 some extent with the conditions in the North sea on the Dogger Bank 

 area, whose temperature is high in summer and low in winter, though 

 never so low as in Canadian waters. The samples of spring herring 

 from the west coast of Newfoundland are in several respects, in the 

 characteristics of their growth, very much like the Norwegian herrings. 

 We should, therefore, also expect a similar composition with regard 

 to age. 



On the west coast of Newfoundland, herrings are caught in the 

 spring, in the summer and in the autumn. The spring herrings are 

 large, with mature roe and milt; they are the spawning schools and 

 correspond to the Norwegian spring herrings. In the gulf of St. 

 Lawrence the herring spawning season seems to be in May, that is, 

 about two months later than on the Norwegian west coast. In the 

 summer some inshore fishing goes on in the bays. The catch consists, 

 according to fishermen, of smaller herring, which are used as bait 

 only. The autumn fishing is a very important one, large herring 

 schools approaching the coast and entering the bays. These herring 

 are large, with the sexual organs developing. They correspond per- 

 fectly with the ' large ' herring, which are caught in Norway late in 

 the autumn. 



