30 



by Matthews from the standpomt of age. Jenkins,* in a criticism 

 of Heincke's work, states that Heincke failed to establish definite 

 racial characters for spring and autumn spa^^^iing herring. By 

 usmg Heincke's data, Jenkins illustrates that so-called autumn 

 spawners may have the characters stated by Heincke to belong 

 to spring spawners and vice versa ; that a group of autumn spaA\Tiers 

 may resemble a group of spring spa^^^lers more than the latter 

 group resembles another group of spring spa^\qiers, and also that 

 in a sam^Dle of 21 herrings having the average formula for autumn 

 spawners, the first 10 fish have the average formula for spring 

 spawners. 



Further evidence of growth accompanying early maturity 

 will be found in the samples of summer feeding and si3a\\Tiing shoals 

 from Peterhead and Scarborough. The Peterhead samples of 

 20th August and 9th September differ as regards maturity. The 

 August sample had, for herrings with three winter rings, only 

 seven fish out of 122 as far developed as stage IV., and the 

 Sej)tember sample contained 30 spents out of a total of 32. Of 

 the fish with four winter rings the August sample contained 14 

 out of 58 as far developed as stage IV., and in the September 

 sample 37 out of 38 were spent fish. The third year growth of 

 these fish here follows : — 



NUMBERS AT CENTIMETRES. 



The Scarborough sample of 11th September had 115 fish 

 with three winter rings, and of these 107 were below stage IV. 

 All the fish of this age were spa^^^lers, stage VI.; in the sample 

 of 25th September. The third year growth of these fish is here 

 given : — 



NUMBERS AT CENTIMETRES. 



Date. ^11^**^1" 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Total. 

 Rings. 



11/9/19 ... 3 5 15 46 28 14 4 3 — 115 



25/9/19 ... 3 — — — 8 14 13 6 1 42 



♦ The Ditference between Spring and Autnnin Herring. Repts. Lane. Sea Fisli. Laby, 

 1902. 



