16 
PAUL BJERKAN: THE YOUNG HERRING 
[Rep. Norw. Fish. Ill 
together with 12 individuals af the II-group and a lot of larger 
herrings. All of these have been investigated as to age by means 
of the scales and an error in age is thus not to be feared. As 
this sample was taken some days only after the Heligoland—Nissum 
samples it seems as if the largest individuals of the group have mi¬ 
grated still further out and congregated with the shoals of young- 
herrings of the older age groups, arid live in a more pelagic manner. 
A strict comparison between the trawl-samples from the more southern 
areas and the net-samples from Skager Rack—Ling Bank is, however, 
not possible as a growth-difference affecting the I-group might very 
well exist between the stocks of herrings in question. The fact is only 
mentioned here as a point to be paid attention to in the further studies 
of the subject. 
The number of the individuals of the I-group taken during the 
autumn cruises is mostly very small. With the exception of the sam¬ 
ples 22 and 30, with 36 and 47 indivs. respectively, the largest amount 
is 6 indivs. The average length of the individuals of the group, which 
mostly falls between 15 and 17 cm., is thus of little importance and 
only gives the impression that the group on the average has grown 
some 2 cm. between the summer and autumn cruises. No difference 
in length is observable between the individuals of the group taken by 
nets compared with those taken by trawl. Mostly the I-group is caught 
together with older herrings especially those belonging to the II-group. 
The II-group. 
The number of individuals of this group is very small. Especially 
in the trawl-catches from the summer cruises the group is very scarce, 
in the net-catches from the same time they are, however, found more 
frequently. These catches have been made in the area Skager Rack 
-Ling Bank and in comparitively deep water. The largest number 
taken in a net-haul is 12 (sample 12) and in a trawl-catch 6 (sample 27). 
As a rule the group is scarcer in the trawl- than in the net-samples, 
quite contrary to the case of the younger age-groups, which is found 
more abundant in the trawl catches. This gives the impression that 
the herrings, having attained a certain length (and age), habitually 
