18 



growth of each herring, roughly 3,200 in number, has been deter- 

 mined since my return, and is now published (Table II.). 



In 1915, restrictions imposed on the herring fishing did not 

 allow of many herrings being examined, but the Northumberland 

 Coast shoal was sampled. Increased fishing in 1916 gave facilities 

 for further work, and this has been continued, the continuation 

 of the sampling in 1917-1918, and the age determination of 1916, 

 1917 and 1918 samples being done chiefly by Mrs. Cowan. 



Detailed information regarding the samples examined is to 

 be found in previous Reports. Below are given the numbers 

 examined each year : — 



3.445 ... 13,859 ... 17,304 



Age. — The Northumberland Coast herring are young fish, 

 and the age composition of the shoals has been found to vary 

 wdth the intensity of the fishing. 



The drift net herring of 1911 came from Yarmouth. 



In 1912, the number examined was small, and the time of 

 sampling was late in the season, 6th and 10th September, but 

 the predommant year group was that with three winter rings. 

 The same feature marked the shoals in 1913, and in 1914, when 

 the sampling was carried out on a larger scale, and again in 1915 

 when fishing was considerably restricted owing to war conditions. 

 In 1916, the predominant year group consisted of fish with four 

 winter rings, and similarly in 1917. A change took place in 1918, 

 and the samples again had herrings with three winter rings for their 

 predominant year group. 



The age composition of the samples examined was as 

 follows: — 



* Contains 250 Xortliumberland Coast herrings caught by trawler, 

 t Contains 300 Northumberlan:! Coast herrings caught by trav/l.'ir. 



