530 THE SHARK FISHERIES OF NORWAY. 
** The size and fatness of the fish vary considerably. The prevailing 
size varies from thirty to thirty-five feet. They have been caught as 
long as forty feet, but this is now a rarity. Young fish are never r met 
with ; they doubtless keep in deep water until of mature growth. 
The size of the liver depends greatly on the condition of the fish. 
They usually render from five to seven barrels of liver, occasionally as 
much as from ten to sixteen. Instances even have been known when as 
much as twenty-four barrels have been obtained from a single fish ; but 
this is of very rare occurrence. 
When the liver is rich, six barrels will produce five barrels of oil 
of thirty gallons each to the barrel. No other part of the fish is 
utilized. Of the remaining species of the shark tribe, there are only 
two besides the foregoing, which are of any importance on this coast. 
The one is the picked dogfish, Squalus acanthias, and which in former 
times, was in great abundance along the whole coast from Gothenburg, 
and afforded lucrative employment to the fishermen. At present the 
fishery is carried on during the whole of the summer from the Naze to 
North Cape, in the fiords, as well as along the coast. 
This is a ravenous fish, and is caught in various ways. About mid- 
summer he is observed to swim near the surface, and can then be taken 
in nets, as well as with lines, precaution being taken to protect the line 
by proper serving for a short distance beyond the hook, to prevent its 
being bitten off. 
This fish is eaten sometimes fresh, but must be skinned before being 
cooked. It is, however, mostly smoked, and in this way it is considered 
rather a delicacy. It is also dried as split stockfish for consumption in 
the country, as well as for export to Sweden, where it is greatly appre- 
ciated. The yolk of the egg, which is about the size of a pigeon's egg, 
is used by the inhabitants as a substitute for other eggs in their domes- 
tic economy. 
The skin is employed by joiners and turners for polishing purposes. 
The liver is exceedingly rich, and makes a very fine oil. 
The other species is called in Norway the kulp or haatorsk (Squalus 
spinax niger), and is the smallest of the shark tribe. 
It is met with in all the deep fiords along the coast, where it com- 
mits great mischief by nibbling off the baits from the deep-seajlines which 
are set out for the ling and the torsk (Brosmus vulgaris). 
Lines with single hooks are never laid out to catch this fish ; but at 
the end of the summer and autumn — and, in some fiords, all the year 
round, — instead of a single hook, they employ ten to twelve, placed one 
above the other, which they bait with half decayed, or tainted fish. The 
depth of water selected is from sixty to a hundred fathoms. 
As the " kulp" is a sluggish fish, bites lightly, and is small, some ex- 
perience is required to know whenhe bites, and he is secured on the hook, 
especially if there is any wind. The line, however, is not brought up 
each time the bite is felt, as there are many hooks ; a simple tug is 
given at every supposed bite. The fish, being once hooked, generally 
remains quiet, as you usually find eight or ten fish caught when the line 
is drawn up. As this fish comes in shoals and takes the bait freely, an 
experienced skilful fishermen will occasionally, during a single night, 
obtain a rich booty. The kulp will not bite during the day. It is not 
eaten, but soughtafter exclusively for the liver, which is unusually rich, 
and yields a very superior kind of oil. 
M,GOWAN AND DANK3, GREAT WINDMILL STREET, HAYMARKET. 
