65 



from ? It may possibly be one of the spring herrings which has 

 not developed and spawned with the rest, and has joined the shoal 

 of summer herrings. 



A somewhat similar herring, but further developed, the eggs 

 being transparent, was found this year in June when examining 

 a sample caught on the 8th, 15 miles E.N.E. of the Tjntie. 



The number of spawning and spent fish found in the drift net 

 samples was very small, and cannot be said to point to our local 

 waters being used to any great extent as a spawning area during 

 1913. And it is probable that no great amount of spawning has 

 taken place in our waters since August, 1911, for this was the last 

 year when haddocks gorged with herring eggs, and locally known 

 as spawny haddocks, were caught in any quantity. 



The samples of trawled herrings, with the exception of Q, and 

 the last three samples, contained ca. 50 per cent, of fish at stage 4 

 and further advanced. Two of the samples contained as high as 

 30 per cent, of spents. Compared with the drift net herrings the 

 trawled fish had on the whole reached a slightly higher stage of 

 maturity. The last three samples, which contained a large number 

 of herrings at stages 1 to 3, no doubt point to the beginning of the 

 dispersal of the shoal. 



The chief differences then between the drift and trawled 

 herrings landed at our local ports are as follows : — The drift net 

 herrings were younger fish, the predominant year class being that 

 with three winter rings, whereas the predominant year class for 

 the trawled herrings had four winter rings, and older fish were 

 more numerous in the samples. The trawled herrings, as shown 

 by the growth increment for 1913, differ markedly from the drift 

 net herrings, and are in all probability later migrants into the North 

 Sea. 



This opportunity is taken of expressing sincere thanks for help 

 given by Mr. R. Dawson, of North Sunderland, and by Messrs. 

 I. Turnbull, R. Boyle and A. Bewick, of North Shields. 



