19 
are of interest. For some years the fisheries represented by these 
samples have been very poor. The fish from Maidens Bay, 9th 
February, were full fish, practically all of them sufficiently 
developed to spawn in spring. Those from Ballantrae Bank, 
2nd March, were chiefly spawning fish. The sample from the 
west of the Shetlands, 7th June, consisted of spents. The age 
composition of these three samples differs altogether from that 
of any other sample examined in that by far the greater number 
of the herrings had five winter rings on the scales. Over 80 per 
cent. from the Clyde and 52 per cent. from the Shetland shoals 
were of this age. 
The samples from Irish shoals came from the Irish Sea, the 
north-west coast and from Galway Bay. The Irish Sea sample 
from Ardglass, 28th June, consisted chiefly of young fish, the 
majority of them having three winter rings on the scales. In 
this respect and also as regards development it is very like samples 
from the North Sea at the same time of year, but it is marked 
by a high percentage, 34, of fish with two winter rings. The 
sample of 6th August from the same port consisted chiefly of 
herrings at stages III. and IV., and whilst fish with three winter 
rings formed the chief part of the sample there were fewer younger 
herrings and more of the older fish than in the June sample. 
Spawning shoals are represented by the samples from Kilkeel 
and Howth, 22nd October and 9th September respectively. The 
Kilkeel sample when forwarded for examination was described 
as consisting of “the usual inshore herrings caught at this time 
of the year.” It contained 94 fish with two winter rings out of 
a total of 219, and, of these 87 were spawning, 2 were spents 
and 5 were at stage [V. Such a high number of young spawning 
fish has not been found in any of the samples examined, and further 
data are required before the sample can be considered to represent 
the general age of first maturity for Irish Sea herrings. The 
Howth sample contained 30 fish with two winter rings in a total 
of 192, but of these 14 only were autumn spawners ;_ the remainder, 
16, of this year class were at stages I. to II. 
From the spring spawning shoals of the north-west coast 
two samples were examined in January and March. In age they 
are like the samples of last year, and show the addition of young 
fish with four winter rings to the shoals. The January sample 
