NOTES SUGGESTIVE OF FURTHER WORK 
IN HERRING INVESTIGATIONS. 
By B. STORROW. 
For some years now it has been the writer’s opinion that the 
most important result to be obtained from herring investigations 
was a knowledge of the fluctuations of the fishery, and that before 
any step towards the solution of fluctuations was possible the 
available facts with regard to age composition and migrations 
of shoals needed considerable additions. Other questions, doubt- 
less, deserve consideration, but those mentioned have occupied 
the greater part of the past two winters. Whilst it cannot be 
claimed that any definite conclusions of value have been reached, 
a number of facts and coincidences have been accumulated which 
are suggestive of further work. The chief of these are set forth 
below. 
AcE.—The herring becomes of commercial importance when 
it has three winter rings on its scales, that is, it is in its fourth year. 
Samples examined from the North Sea, from Wick to Scarborough, 
showed that the summer feeding shoals of developing herrings 
contained from 50 to 70 per cent. of fish of this age.* Samples 
from the Irish Sea and the north-west of Ireland also showed 
the importance of fish in their fourth year,t and from our know- 
ledge of trade terms and age, the following statistics supplied 
by the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction 
for Ireland, for the herrings branded at Ardglass during the summer 
fishery emphasise this importance :— 
BARRELS, 
Year. Large Fulls. Tulls. Matties. Spents. Total. 
1911 395 2,961 1,818 (38%) = 4.514 
1912 _ 4,205 6,688 (61°) — 10,893 
1913 5 2,671 5,731 (67%) 133 8,540 
1914 — ili 862 (88%) = 979 
1920 = 483 74 (13%) 26 583 

* Report, New Series LX., page 43. { Page 29 of this Report. 
