of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 
349 
summarise it here. Dr Petersen groups the fish studied according to 
whether their eggs float or not, and deals with the following: — Zoams, 
S/ftnjnathufi, Neroph in i Gobius, GasferosteMs, Spinacliia,Cottus, Cijdoptevus, 
(Uu pea havenipi*, Be/one, Ammodytes, Ctenolabvus, Pleuroneefes jlesus, 
P. platcssa, Rhombus maximus, Solea vuhjavix, Ancjuitla vulgaris, &c. 
Tables are given showing the measurements of males and females of the 
different species. Holbaek Fjord is much smaller than the Firth of Forth, 
and Dr Petersen's general results agree with those obtained in the latter 
area. He refers to the seaward movement of fish with pelagic ova, and 
also of the herring, at the reproductive period. He has never found a 
single floating egg within the Fjord, but only further out and in the 
Kattegat ; and he looks upon it not as a breeding place but as a nursery. 
X. HOLLAND. 
The Official Report on Dutch fisheries contains as usual a great mass of 
information concerning them.* In 1890 the catch of herrings by the 
luggers and sloops was somewhat less than in 1889, but the average price 
was higher. In 1889 the catch was 17,939 lasts, compared with 17,615 
lasts in 1890 ; but the value rose from 2,000,000 Dutch guilders in 1889 
to 2, 900, 000 guilders in 1890. The total catch of the herring fleet was 
about 474,000 barrels of salted herrings, and about 40,000,000 fresh her- 
rings ; and thus the herring harvest of the Dutch in the North Sea 
amounted in 1890 to about 391,000,000 fish. Although salt and barrels 
were dearer than in the previous year, the results to the merchants were very 
satisfactory. The export of Dutch cured herrings decreased from 310,740 
barrels in 1889 to 283,092 in 1890 — the decrease being chiefly connected 
with the export to North Germany — which fell from 78,774 barrels in 
1889 to 24,540 barrels in 1890. The number of vessels taking part in 
the great or salt herring fishery was 190, compared with 194 in the 
previous year, and these consisted almost entirely of luggers and cutters. 
Including the fishing-boats (Bomschuiten), the herring fleet numbered 402. 
It is noted that an attempt was made to open up the herring fishing to 
the west of the Shetland Islands, and with success. It had been stated 
that it was impossible to fish successfully in that region, owing to the 
strength and inequality of the currents. Each of the two vessels that 
tried it brought back 20 barrels of salted cod, 58 barrels of coal-fish, and 
17 lasts of herrings. Of the 17,015 lasts of herrings caught 13,542 lasts 
consisted of 'full' herrings (voile), and only 928 of maties. Very full 
tables are given relating to the catch and cure of herrings. In the Zuider 
Zee the anchovy fishing was exceptionally successful, 190,000 ankers, 
representing about 000,000,000 fish, being caught. The oyster industry 
was not successful in 1890, a fact partly attributed to the low and variable 
temperature in the beginning of summer destroying the brood. In the 
course of the summer about one- third of the full-grown oysters died, and 
in the winter the long frost proved very destructive. 'The year 1890,' 
the Report states, ' will long remain a sad memory to our oyster breeders.' 
The new branding regulations of the Scotch Board, and also the Report 
of Mr James Johnston and Mr W. Anderson Smith are translated in 
full. 
In the investigation being made by Dr P. P. C. Hoek, the scientific 
fishery adviser to the Government, on the scarcity of fish on the Dutch 
coasts, it is stated that the absence of proper statistics has been a great 
* Verslag van den Staat der Nedcrlandsche Zeevisscherijen over 1890. 
