CANADIAN FISHEIMES EXPEDITION, 11)141915 



BIOLOGY OF ATLANTIC WATERS OF CANADA 



GROWTH OF THE YOUNG HERRING rSOCALLED 

 8ARDINES) OF THE BAY OF FUNDY 



A PEELIMINARY REPORT 



BY 



A. G. HUNTSMAN. B.A., M.B., of the University of Toronto. 

 Curator, Dominion Biological Station, St. Andrews, Xeiu Bntnsivicl-. 



In the spring of 1915 Dr. Hjort proposed in connection with tlie extended 

 investigations in 1914-15 that I study the young of the herring (Clupea harengus) or 

 ** sardines " of the Bay of Fundy to determine if possible how hirge they were during 

 the first winter, and the amount of growth during the year. The numerous Canadian 

 weirs that are fished throughout the greater part of the year to supply the sardine 

 factories chiefly in Maine were practically certain to furnish an abundance of material. 



Owing to the work that was being prosecuted in tihe gulf of St. Lawrence it was 

 not possible for me to examine the material in the fresh state except at the beginning 

 and end of the season. It was necessary to rely upon salted material. 



The material has been collected in large part by the engineer of the Biological 

 Station at St. Andrews, Mr. A. E. Calder. When circumstances permitted, he collected 

 samples weekly. The material has proved to be far from complete enough to settle the 

 points in question. This is particularly the case with regard to the smaller fish, 

 popularly known as " brit," which are for the most part too small to be satisfactorily 

 taken by the nets used in seining the weirs. Not only will they pass through the nets 

 in seining, but when present in quantity they will not be taken out, being too small for 

 canning. Although there are many gaps in the material, the results are not without 

 interest. 



It appeared desirable to use the scale method of determining the age and the 

 jearly amount of growth; but the material presented such great difiiculties owing to 

 the indistinctness of the winter rings that this was abandoned and the method of 

 measurement, instituted by Petersen, alone was used. 



The samples were measured on one of the usual boards, divided into centimetres, 

 with the divisions at the half centimetres so that in each case the measurement was to 

 the nearest centimetre. This gave centimetre groups for statistical treatment. To 

 facilitate accurate determination of the length, the measuring board was marked on 



