64 
Year. Cwts. Year. Cwts. 
1900 Pec 86,609 siais 1911 nae 16,352 
1901 $f 101,909 me 1912 ae 7,672 
1902 we 92,186 otk 1913 a) 10,696 
1903 ‘ier 74,193 iets 1914 ane 3,216 
1904 He 27,394 “ie 1915 ic 13,399 
1905 oe 16,352 Sai 1916 Bae. : 2,576 
1906 550 18,403 add 1917 sete 899 
1907 ia 13,699 me 1918 aan 5,763 
1908 a50 14,245 se 1919 Fate 41,973 
1909 aes 12,894 wi 1920 93,982 
1910 Fes 36.417 
The catches dropped in 1902, but the fishery could not be 
considered as a failure until 1904. A condition giving low catches 
has continued until 1920, a period of eighteen years reckoning 
from the first signs of failure. This period is a lunar period, and 
may be considered as approximately equal in time to a complete 
regression of nodes, or to two complete revolutions of perigee. 
Lunar phenomena and herring catches will be considered later. 
Fortunately we are able to refer to the present age composi- 
tion of the herrings of Loch Fyne which come from the Inverary 
Fishery District, in which are included the shoals of the Ayrshire 
coast. ‘Two samples were examined this year and came from 
Maidens Bay, Ayrshire coast, and the Ballantrae Bank. They 
were chiefly fish of the 1917 year-class, and the age composition 
of the samples was as follows :— 
WINTER RINGS. 

Logaiity. Date. 3 4 5 6 7 8 
Maidens Bay ... ee 2422) 5 12 78 5 ay 1 
Ballantrae 2/3/22 1 "7 7 5 ae —_ 
The last winter ring was taken as coinciding with the edge 
of the scale. 
A comparison of the Loch Fyne fishery with that of the north- 
west of Ireland yields some points of interest. The herrings differ 
from those of the north-west of Iveland, having a less rapid growth, 
and being therefore smaller fish age for age. Growth data will 
be found on page 35, and can be compared with similar data for 
Trish shoals given in the last Report. There is also a significant 
difference in the age composition. The 1917 year-class has yielded 
the bulk of the Loch Fyne herrings, whilst the 1916 year-class 
is one of the richest of the younger’ year-classes from the north- 
