18 



composition. The sample of 10th February was taken off Tiumpan 

 Head. It contained a high number of fish with thi'ee and four 

 winter rings, and the iish with six and seven Avinter rings were an 

 important part of the sample. Of the A^ounger fish the greater 

 part were sufficiently developed to allow of them being spring 

 spawners, only 5 and 28 being at stages II. and III. respectively. 

 The sample from Broad Bay contained more younger fish than 

 that from off Tiumpan Head, and whilst spawning and spent 

 herrings were found with from three to nine winter rings the 

 number of young fish at a low stage of development was higher. 

 The locality of capture had doubtless much to do with the age 

 composition of this sample, and accounted for the high number 

 of young fish. 



Lerwick Samples. — The sample of 28th May from Lerwick 

 consisted of fish of many different ages. The majority of the 

 herrings were at stage II. of development. The shoal from which 

 the sample Avas taken probably consisted of fish which would 

 become autumn spawners, and fish which had not yet joined the 

 spawning shoals. WTiilst the July sample did not contain a high 

 percentage of young fish, it is evident from information supplied 

 b}^ Mr. BroAvn (page 14) that young fish do occur in the waters 

 east of the Shetlands and south to Fair Isle in the summer months, 

 and Bjerkan* gives details of samples from Shetland waters in 

 June and July, 1912, as follows : — 



12 



Sample 18. — July 1912,, 15 miles S.S.E. Bressay. 

 Sample 20.— 20th June, 1912, 30 miles S.S.E. Fair Isle. 

 Sample 21. — 12th June, 1912, 5 miles S.S.E. Skerries Fctlar. 



Fish with three Avinter rings are not so plentiful as they are 

 further south. 



The August sample consisted chiefly of spent fish, and con- 

 tained a large number of old fish. Herrings with six, seven, eight 

 and nine AAdnter rings AA^ere common and in greater numbers than in 

 any of the other samples from autumn spaAAning shoals. 



* Age, Maturity and Quality of North Sea Herrings. Rept. Nor. Fish, and Mar. Invest, 

 vol. III., No. 1, p. 116. 



