9 



By the examination of samples taken at the beginning and 

 about the middle of the summer fishery, of full or spawning fish, 

 and also of spent fish, it was hoped to get sufficient evidence to 

 show if there was any connexion between the summer shoals and 

 the shoals of spring spawners, which it was intended to sample 

 in the early part of 1920. 



The samples consisted of a quarter of a cran of herrings taken 

 without selection from the catch of the vessel, and the condition 

 of the herrings on their arrival at Cullercoats gave evidence of 

 the care taken in packing the fish. 



Below is given a list of the samples examined. For each 

 fish the length, sex, state of gonads and age have been recorded, 

 and from the records of the scales the yearly growth, the 

 position of the winter rings expressed in terms of the length of 

 the fish, has been calculated. But for Mrs. Cowan's help and her 

 capacity for steady and consistent application to w^ork which, at 

 times tended to become monotonous, it would have been imj)os- 

 sible to deal with so much material. 



