21 



from fish in their fourth year. These samples contained a high 

 percentage of fish with two winter rings, and the percentages are 

 so high as to make the samples differ from any of the others. 

 Whilst the North Shields sample of 27th August was a selected 

 sam23le, taken on account of the number of fish observed with two 

 winter rings, it cannot be said that there was any selection in 

 connexion with the Scarborough samples. All those who sent 

 samples were asked to send the herrings without any selection, so 

 that the sample would represent the catch. 



Spa^viiing herrings are rex^resented by the sample of 25th 

 September from 10 miles E.N.E. of Scarborough. The sample 

 contained a number of young herrings of the same age as those 

 of the earlier samples, and the older fish were very similar in age 

 to those found in the samples of North Shields trawled herrings. 

 Of the 245 herrings in the sample, 226 were at stage VI., fish 

 actually spawning, the roe and milt running, and only two were 

 at stage IV. 



Yarmouth Samples. — The two samples from Yarmouth 

 differed greatly from one another, both as regards age and stage 

 of development. The first sample contained more older fish, 

 and they were not from a spawning shoal as was the sample of 

 20th November. It is worth}^ of notice that the sample of spawning 

 fish contained a high percentage of fish at the end of their fourth 

 year, fish with three winter rings, and that the greater part of these 

 fish, together with some with two winter rings, were actually 

 spawning. But it is doubtful if all the fish of this sample, 

 particularly those at stage III., would have become spawners 

 during the time the shoals abounded off Yarmouth, and it is far 

 from likely that the herrings at stage II. in the sample of 6th 

 November would spawn in Yarmouth waters. 



The sample of 20th November is of special interest, as it 

 gives the first indication of the low^ percentage of fish with four 

 winter rings. Fish of similar age and found in the samples of winter 

 herrings of 1920 are counted as having five winter rings. 



Firth of Forth Samples. — Together with our knowledge 

 of the young herring, fish at the end of the first and second growth 

 periods, the samples from the Firth of Forth point to this area 

 containing shoals of herrings of all ages during the winter months. 



