CAXADIAX FISHERIES EXPEDITIOX, 1914-15 



125 



means considerable, and it is possible, moreover, that the part of the curve indicating 

 the numerical value of the young fish may in reality be not altogether accurate, owing 

 to the nature of the implements employed. As a matter of fact, therefore, nothing 

 definite can be said as to the relative frequency of the young fish here. 



The age-groups in the samples have, as already indicated, been carried over into 

 year-classes; this is analytically supported by consideration of the age-curves result- 

 ing from the spring samples from 1914 and the autumn samples of the year, with the 

 similarity between these latter and those from the spring of 1915, distinctly pointing 

 to tlie fact that the new summer growth must have commenced some time after the 

 month of May. The strong contrast between of 1914 and groups 11 and 12 in the 



Year groups 



1911 10 OV 0» 07 06 05 0* Oi 02 



00 1899 98 97 96 95 9<. 9J 92 91 



Spring of 1914 

 512 individ 



Autumn ot 191A 

 462 mdivia 



Spring of 1915 

 219 mdivid 



1911 10 09 08 07 06 05 Ct 05 02 01 00 1899 98 97 96 <»5 <><, 95 <i-^ 91 

 Year groups 



Fig. 35. 



spring of 1915 suggests that the summer growth has not made itself apparent on the 

 scales at that time of the year. Had such been the case, the contrast would certainly 

 have been effaced by the division of each year-class into two age-groups, according as 

 they had or had not commenced their new summer growth. The divergent sample might 

 possibly to some extent be explained by supposing that some of the individuals therein, 

 contained had commenced new summer growth; the sample in question was also taken 

 late in May. But as will later be shown, it is more likely that it represents another 

 group of herring than those in the remaining samples. This sample apart, the mate- 

 rial presents an apparance totally different from that furnished b.y the samples from 

 ^Magdalen islands and Xorthumberland strait; moreover, as we shall now have occa- 

 sion to show, it differs likewise in point of age distribution from that collected on the 

 Atlantic coast. i ' . 



