CANADIAN FISHERIES EXPEDITION, lOl'i-lo 



157 



more southerly samples. This difference is perhaps more pronounced when we look 

 at the calculated lengths, instead of the calculated increments, as the differences for 

 dimensions t, — t^ small, it is true, yet tending in the same direction, are then added 

 together. 



Tablk 46. — Growth of herring from North Sydney and Nova Scotia compared. 



(Year-class 1908.) 



North Sydney. 

 Nova Scotia. . . 

 Difference [U). 

 D 



*litv. 



1-30 

 1 37 

 07 



64 



14. Summary. — On glancing through the comparisons made in the last two 

 sections, we are led to the following conclusions: Samples resembling one another 

 in point of age-composition also exhibit great resemblance as regards growth. 



The samples from Magdalen islands, Northumberland strait and North Sydney 

 (with the exceptional sample from St. Georges bay) exhibit a type of growth which may 

 to a certain extent be characterized as markedly distinct from the Newfoundland type, 

 while differing also to a lesser degree, albeit still pronouncedly, from that noted 

 among the herring from West Ardoise and Nova Scotia, which appear to form in thia 

 resjject a group apart 



The growth of the Newfoundland herring is characterized by a modest commence- 

 ment in the first summer, proceeding well, however, from the third summer onwards. 

 The herring from the gulf of St. Lawrence have a good first summer's growth, 

 but owing to the slower growth in their later years do not, when older, exhibit the 

 samu average length as fish of the same age from Newfoundland and other waters. 

 The herring from North Sydney show good growth for the first two years; compara- 

 tively poor, however, later on ; nevertheless, they exhibit, on reaching a considerable 

 age, a very respectable average length, inferior only to that of the herring from the 

 southern Atlantic waters. These last may be said to grow well for the first five or 

 six years, whereby they outdistance the fish from other localities. 



XIII. APPENDIX. 



OBSERVATIONS AS TO SEASONAL GROWTH IN 

 YOUNG HERRING. 



Some samples of young herring in the material collected afford some evidence as 

 to the manner in which the summer growth proceeds in the different Atlantic waters. 

 This, taken together with what we have learned regarding the growth of the older 

 fish, furnishes some rough idea, as to the main features of seasonal growth in Cana- 

 dian waters, though a complete survey is not at present feasible. 



The sample of small herring from Port au Port, mentioned on p. 137, seems to show 

 that most of the summer growth in that area has taken place before the middle of 

 August. Fig. 43 shows the observations taken together, with curves indicated for 

 seasonal growth during the second and third sunnners, as far as can be calculated from 

 the scanty data available. 



The samples of young fish from the waters between the Gasne coast and Prince 

 Edward Island exhibit a growth similar to that of the adult fish from ^VFaiidalen 

 islands and North\nnberland strait albeit it does not seem possible to class tliem defi- 

 nitely witli either of these two STOups. 



