6 



of the drift net, but rather to their absence from the shoal. The 

 samples of 1917, for instance, gave no indication that fish with 

 three winter rings would predominate in 1918. 



From the age-composition of the 1916 samples the Northum- 

 berland Coast shoal appears to occupj^ the ground between the 

 Fame Islands and opposite the mouth of the Tees. During that 

 year the shoal was augmented in July and August by the immigra- 

 tion into it of heri'ing with four and five Avinter rings, and the 

 distribution of the fish with four winter rings supports the opinion 

 of the fishermen that our herrings come from the north-east. These 

 larger herring used to be folloAved by mature fish, and spawning 

 took place especially in the neighbourhood and to the north of the 

 Fames, but the period of our investigations has been marked by 

 a dearth of spawning, and the evidence of its happening has been 

 mainl}^ derived from data referring to " spawny haddocks." 



There is evidence therefore that during the herring season 

 a succession of shoals appears in our coastal waters. The season 

 commences by the fishing 100 miles or more from the coast, and 

 the smaller coastal herring appear in the latter part of May. Our 

 results indicate that the Northumberland Coast herring consist 

 in June and July of herring Avith a comparatively small first year 

 growth, and are followed about the end of July or the beginning 

 of August by herring with a larger first year grow^th. Again, 

 towards the end of August and the beginning of September fish 

 with a smaller first year growth are once more abundant. The 

 samples of 1916 indicated that the herring with the larger first 

 year growth were more particularh- restricted to the southern 

 portion of the fishing ground, and this points to separate shoals. 

 It has to be noted also that herrings with two winter rings have 

 in all seasons a larger first je&v growth than the herring of other 

 3^ear groups. The observation is doubtless intensified by the 

 facts we have already j)ublished aa to the difference in the rate 

 of growth of the scale and the fish, but it is with the other obser- 

 vations of importance as indicating that a herring with a large 

 first year growth regularly visits the Northumberland Coast during 

 its 3-ears of immaturity. A sample of the spring spawnmg herring 

 of the Firth of Forth has been found to have a first year growth 

 practically the same as that of the herring of the Northumberland 

 Coast. The fiuctuations of the Firth of Forth fishery follow closely 



