21 



Further evidence is necessary and would probably be obtained 

 by taking samples of herrings at different localities along the coast 

 between Northumberland and Lowestoft. If these samples were 

 taken during the height of the herring season at the various ports, 

 they would admit of comparison being made for this purpose. 



A somewhat similar distribution for the young, and migration 

 towards the spawning ground on approaching maturity have been 

 shown by Hjort and Lea from a consideration of the 1904 year 

 class, marked herrings, of Norway. 



Size and Age. — Particulars relating to size and age will be 

 found in Table III., and for the purpose of comparison the herrings 

 examined during 1913 have been similarly arranged and classified 

 in Table IIIa. 



The average sizes, as calculated from the table, of the different 

 year groups in the samples of the Northumberland coast herring 

 are as follows : — 



WINTER RINGS. 



The samples examined in 1913 which admit of comparison 

 had the following average sizes : — 



Taking into consideration the difference between the two 

 methods of determining the total length, there is Uttle difference 

 between the size of the herrings with two and three winter rings, 

 but those vvith four winter rings were larger in June and July than 

 the fish of similar age in 1913. 



The herrings of 1913 showed some increase in size during the 

 three months under consideration, but apparently the same cannot 

 be said for those in the samples of 1914. 



