41 



But there is a considerable difference between the first year 

 growth of fish with two winter rings in 1918 and the first year 

 growth of any of the older fish of this or other yesi£s, and this 

 factor is probably explained by the work of Professor Meek, in 

 which he showed that the relationship between the size of the 

 scale and the length of the herring varied with size and age.* 



The Firth of Forth Herring. — A sample of herrings was 

 obtained from the Firth of Forth, between Prestonpans and Mussel- 

 burgh, on the 1st of February, 1917, and the age composition of 

 this sample was given in the Report for that year. Owing to the 

 edge of the scale and the last winter ring cohiciding the age of the 

 sample has been reported * as being a year j^ounger than it was. 

 There was no fish in this sample with less than five winter rings, 

 and the fish from the state of the gonads came from a spawning 

 shoal. 



There is a close relationship between the first year growth 

 of the herrings of this sample and that made by the herrings of 

 the Northumberland Coast shoal. Samples 4 and 5 taken 1916, 

 and representing the herrings present off our coast in August, in 

 w^hich month herrings with four winter rings have been shown to 

 join the local shoal, have a first year growth for fish with four 

 winter rings very like that of the Firth of Forth herrings. Sample 

 Dl is not used for the purpose of comparison, for it has been stated 

 that this sample contained 25*per cent, of fish ready for spa^aiing. 

 The samples of 1917 had also a similar first year growth for fish 

 with five winter rings. The particulars here follow : — 



12 



Herrings a year older, that is, with five winter rings in the 

 Northumberland samples of 1916, and with six winter rings in the 

 Firth of Forth sample, have a still closer relationship in the first 

 year growth, the particulars being as follows : — 



* Report, Xew Series. V., page 11. t Report, New Series, VI., page 18. 



