consistent criteria of interpretation were found. The method was confirmed 

 by a quantitative analysis of the intra-circuli distance. In all the 

 samples examined, those taken in July and in some localities in the early 

 part of August, were impossible to interpret. No attempt has been made, 

 therefore, to estimate the numbers of fish of each age group in the average 

 catch-per-net for the season. 



The and I-groups were oversampled in reading the scale collections 

 from Wlldwood, N. J. in 1931 and 1932 and from noihern New Jersey in 1931« 

 This was done to secure as many representatives of this group as possible 

 in the sanroles used for measuring circulus spacing, Weakfish older than the 

 V-group have been omitted as they are two few to be important. 



In tables 10 to 20 each age group is represented in most localities by 

 samples from more than one year class. In figures 6 to 8 these samples 

 have been combined for eiich age group and the length frequencies are given 

 in percentages, owing to the disparity in numbers between dominant and sub- 

 dominant groups. 



Judging from these data, it appears that during the period of the 

 study, 



1) Juvenile (0-group) weakfish were taken in autumn in many localities 

 from eastern Long Island to North Carolina (table 10, figure 6) , 



The nunfoers in these samples do not indicate relative abundance in the 

 several localities, for in several instances special effort was made to 

 secure large samples of 0-group fish. 



For reasons set forth later, (Section "Origin of Northern Juveniles") 

 it is an open question whether all of the 0-group fish were spawned in the 

 localities where they were captured or whether rather extensive migrations 

 had occurred between spawning in June and capture in October. 



2) The length frequency distributions from localities south of Delaware 

 Bay indicate that the stocks there were made up in the main of small fish 

 among which yearlings (I=group) were well r epresented. In North Carolina, 

 fish of this age group were present through the whole season, (Higgins and 

 Pearson, 1927) but in Virginia they were not numerous until midsiimmer (fig. 

 6). 



3) North of Delaware Bay yearlings occurred in significant numbers 

 only in southern New Jersey (Wildwood and Beach Haven). There they did not 

 appear until midsummer, but they did not constitute more than 20 percent of 

 the catch in any of the years in which observations were made. 



Apparently most 0-group weakfish winter off the coast of North Carolina, 

 for most of them strike in there in spring as I-group fish. Perhaps many of 

 the I-group fish migrate from North Carolina to Virginia and a few to southern 



3^ 



