33 



Northumberland Coast shoal was limited by the Fame Islands 

 to the north, and the region of the mouth of the Tees to the south, 

 and also that during August the herrings with four winter rings 

 were more abundant in the northern portion of the fishing ground 

 than the southern. A consideration of the first year growth of 

 the samples for which the growth has been calculated shows a 

 somewhat similar limitation of the shoal, especially in the south, 

 and also a distribution along the coast according to the first year 

 growth, the herrings with the greater first jenr growth being more 

 plentiful in the southern portion. 



The samples of June and early July, for which the first year 

 growth has been determined and their date of capture, are Al, 

 27th June ; Bi, 30th June ; 2, 6th June ; CI, 13th July. The 

 position of capture will be seen on Chart T. 



The first year growth of herrings with four winter rings 

 indicates a slight difi^erence between samples Al and Bl, the 

 former having more fish with a first year growth of 8 cm. and 

 over than the latter. Sample 2 coming from the southern portion 

 of the fishing ground contains fish with a greater first year growth 

 than those from the northern portion, samples Al and Bl ; and 

 sample CI, marking the southern limit of the grounds, gives 

 evidence of a mixture of fish having a similar first year growth 

 to those of sample 2, v/ith fish having a smaller first year growth. 

 The first year growth of herrings with four winter rings in these 

 samples here follows : — 



01 8 16 10 23 27 10 5 1 — — — 115 



Herrings with three winter rings also vary in the first year 

 growth with the place of capture. Sample Al contained only 

 27 fish of this age, and on the whole they had a larger first year 

 growth than fish of a similar age m sample Bl. Sample 2 had 

 fewer fish than sample Bl with a first year growth less than 8 cm., 

 and sample CI differed from sample 2 in the same way as was found 

 for herrmg with four winter rings, there being indications of an 

 addition of fish with a comparatively small first year growth. The 

 particulars are as follows : — 



