BULLETIN OP THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 123 
too, animal and vegetable life has not yet roused from its winter sleep, 
so as to supply these fry with their needed food. It is therefore my 
opinion that at present the hatcheries, under the circumstances, are of 
very little use. It would be much better if the hatcheries were properly 
situated in Iceland, as many rivers are suitable for salmon and trout. 
Natural circumstances have at many places destroyed the fishing 
without any intervention of man. In autumn frequently heavy rains 
occur during the spawning season, and the rivers increase in volume 
and tear up their beds, while early in winter the streams freeze un- 
expectedly, thaw suddenly, and the ice sometimes changes the whole 
beds of the rivers, especially where they consist of sand and gravel. In 
those parts of the country where the river-beds are of lava formation 
the spawn may be saved from destruction by the holes and heavy rocks. 
Thus the fisheries in these rivers are preserved ; but natural hardships 
and bad methods of fishing prevent the increase of salmon in the rivers, 
and almost entirely stop the fishing in many of them. Most of the fish- 
ing in Iceland is done during the spawning season of salmon and trout ; 
and formerly dams were built across the streams where possible. In 
1870 a law was introduced that nobody be permitted to capture any 
salmon later in the year than September 15, or to obstruct any river ; 
but nothing was said about trout. 
In all the large rivers salmon are caught in wedge-shaped nets, which 
are set in the rivers and on the places where the water is quiet. They 
are fastened in place either by stone-piles built out into the stream 
from the shores or by means of large baskets loaded with stones. 
In the smaller streams salmon boxes are used of different sizes. They 
are triangular in shape and made of wooden rails.. One angle points up 
the stream, and the rails composing the sides of this angle are arranged 
horizontally, while the rails on the opposite side are perpendicular, with 
an opening between them for the entrance of the salmon. In many of 
the little rivers salmon are caught by means of sharp iron hooks at- 
tached to poles. Hauling-nets are used in all rivers, especially in their 
mouths and across them, in which the fishermen catch all salmon, large 
and small. 
The trout are taken by means of set nets, drag-nets, and trout-boxes. 
All nets for trout have too small meshes, and catch even the smallest 
fish. They are badly made, ill fixed, and of very little worth. Often 
white bones are used on these nets as sinkers, as also on the salmon 
nets, which tend to drive the fish away. In lakes fishing-lines are used. 
Many wealthy salmon-fishermen come to Iceland annually and rent 
the salmon rivers for a year or a period of years. They fish with hooks, 
staying in Iceland from the beginning of June to about the middle of 
September. The salmon which they catch and do not use are generally 
given to the neighboring farmers, who thus sometimes get both fish and 
rents. In 1876 and 1877 an Englishman (Mr. Eichy) was in the southern 
part of the island and did a considerable business in putting up and 
exporting canned salmon. 
