10 



the greater part of the season of herring with four winter -rings. 

 As has been apparent from the rej)orts of our previous work, there 

 has been practically no exception to our district presenting a 

 predommancy of herring with three winter-rings. From Tables 

 II. and IV. and Figure 2 it will be seen that three winter-ring 

 herring were present on the coast m numbers in June, except 

 at the extreme north end of the district — samples Al and A2. In 

 July, the four mnter-ring herring became predominant, and 

 characterised the catches for the remainder of the season. The 

 herring in question were aU caught by drift nets ofi the Northum- 

 berland coast. The year 1916 was a.bnormal in that the herring 

 caught were for the most part a year older than those obtained 

 during the years 1912-1915 {see last report). 



This feature is illustrated also in Table III. and Figure 2, 

 when the results are considered with reference to size. The smaller, 

 and as has been shown, the younger herring, occupied the region 

 in the early part of the season, and gave place in the first fortnight 

 of Jul}' to the next year group. 



The herring therefore appear to enter our region from the 

 north, for in this abnormal season we see the gradual disappear- 

 ance of the three winter ring group and the appearance in the 

 northern part of the district of the four winter ring group, which 

 this year for some reason seems to have advanced further south 

 than usual. 



In Figure 1 we have indicated the regions in which it was found 

 that herrmg spav/ning had taken place as determined by the 

 capture of " spawny " haddocks. The information was furnished 

 by ]\Ir. L. CoUins, the Board's Collector of Fishery Statistics at 

 North Shields, and is given below in tabular form :- - 



Cwts. 



Locality, 



10 miles E.N.E. of the Longstone. 

 38 miles E.N.E. of the May Light. 

 10 miles N.E. of the Longstone. 



10 miles N.E. by N. of the Longstoue. 



11 miles ]Sr.E. by E. i E. of the Longstone. 

 8 miles N.E. by E. of the Longstone. 



11 miles N.E. by E. i E. of the Longstone. 

 50 mile? N.E. 4 E. of Tyne. 

 50 miles N.E. J E. cf Tyne. 



