84 



with regard to these shoals. But Mr. Walker was unable to find 

 any difference in the catches landed, and towards the end of 

 February informed me that all landings had been similar to the 

 sample he had sent me. It would appear from this and from 

 information supplied by fishermen that either no shoals of large 

 and older herrings entered the Firth during the winter fishery, 

 or the numbers of young herrings were so great, comparatively, 

 as to hide the presence of the older fish. The probability of the 

 latter being the case will be seen from the age composition of the 

 sample examined. 



The high percentage of fish with three winter rings is remark- 

 able, but the data as given in Table I. do not fully represent the 

 abundance of fish of this age. When the sample arrived it was 

 evident it contained two classes of fish, and was dealt with accord- 

 ingly. The largest of the herrings, 79 in number, were picked 

 out and examined, and then rather more than half the remainder 

 was dealt with, 150 out of 260. If the 110 herrings which were 

 not examined be considered as having the same age composition 

 as those of the smaller herrings which were examined, we have the 

 the following result : — 



WINTER RINGS. 



All the information which has been obtained points to there 

 being a large number of herrings with three winter rings in the 

 waters of the Firth of Forth during January and February of 

 this year. The shoals extended from above the Forth Bridge 

 to off Eyemouth, 36 J- crans being landed by a vessel at North 

 Shields on 29th January from 6 miles N.E. of St. Abbs. The 

 herrings of this catch were similar to those of the sample of 10th 

 February. 



The condition of the gonads of the herrings in the sample 

 from the Firth of Forth is not without interest. Of the 148 fish 

 with three winter rings seven only were not developed as far as 



