4 EEPORT ON THE PRESENT STATE OF KNOWLEDGE 



Sars concludes that on the coast of Norway the spawning is confined 

 to the first fortnight in July. 



From the information derived from mackerel fishermen in America, 

 and published in the Reports of the United States Fish Commission* 

 it is evident that the breeding season of the fish there also varies 

 on different parts of the coast, becoming later the further north one 

 gets. Although no definite statement by the naturalists of the 

 Commission as to the exact limits of the spawning period in different 

 localities has been published, it would appear that on the New England 

 coast spawning takes place principally in May and June, whilst in the 

 Gulf of St. Lawrence it is later, occurring during the latter half of 

 June and in July. On the other hand, in the south (south-east 

 of Cape Henry, and off the Virginia coast) spent fish were taken 

 in April, t 



The following table shows the chief spawning period of the 

 mackerel in different localities, according to the information at 



present available : — 



Europe. 

 Locality. Spawning Period. 



Mediterranean (Gulf of Marseilles) . March and April. (Possibly also 



January and February.) 



Rate of Growth. — Considerable uncertainty exists as to the rate 

 of growth of the mackerel, and the views of the authors who have 

 paid attention to the subject differ widely. The largest amount of 

 information bearing on the question has been collected by Marion 

 and Gourret on the Mediterranean coast of France.]; Young mackerel, 

 from 2 to 10 cm. (f to 4 inches), are caught in numbers at Marseilles and 

 Nice, more especially at the latter place, in April and May, and Marion 

 and Gourret both regard these fish as the young of the year. This, 

 however, compels them to assume that the spawning season begins 



* See especially Report U.S. Fish. Com., 1881. 



t Report U.S. Fish. Com., 1895. 



t Ann. Mus. Nat. Hist. Marseille Zool. AppliqvAe, 1889-91. 



