29 



Herrings with four wintei- rings were present in sample 1 

 in large numbers, and comprised 32 per cent, of the sample. But 

 herrings of this age did not come into the Northumberland Coast 

 shoal in any large numbers, or if they did so, the number was 

 hidden by the predominant year class with three winter rings. 

 During June and July the greater number of these fish had a 

 growth of 8 and 9 cm. In August, fish with a larger first year 

 growth arrived, and in sample 10 the greater part of the fish were 

 those which had made a first year growth of 9 and 10 cm. This 

 will be evident from the following table, which gives the first year 

 growth of herrings with four winter rings. 



Percentage at Centimetres. 



Sample. 



14 Total 



2 151 



— 13 

 2 51 



— 38 



— 32 



— 40 



— 8 



— 59 



— 25 



— 53 



In relation to the above, which shows the late arrival of 

 herrings of three and four winter rings which have made a com- 

 paratively large growth up to the formation of the first winter 

 ring, we have to note the growth increment made during the year 

 when captured. 



The samples of 1913* gave evidence of a change in the shoals 

 during the beginning of September, shown by the samples having 

 a smaller growth increment for 1913 than those captured earlier 



Report New Scries, III., page 63. 



