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The Life-history of the Pilchard. 
By 
J. T. Cunningham, M.A.. 
Naturalist to the Association. 
WE have recently begun to receive from the French Ministére de 
la Marine a monthly journal entitled Péches Maritimes, and published 
as a supplement to the Revue Maritime et Coloniale. The number 
for August of this journal commences with an article on La biologie 
de la sardine, by M. Paul Guéry. This article consists chiefly of 
summaries of the researches of four zoologists on the reproduction 
and life-history of the sardine. We have the summaries given 
under the following headings : 
1. Le laboratoire de Concarneau, Opinion de M. le Professeur 
Pouchet. 
2. Le laboratoire d’Endoume. Opinion de M. le Professeur 
Marion. 
3. Laboratoire de Plymouth. Opinion de M. Cunningham. 
4, Opinion de M. le Dr. Henneguy. 
In the first section it is stated that in Professor Pouchet’s opinion 
the sardine is a fish of the high seas, attracted to the coast neither 
by hunger nor the reproductive instinct, but whose migrations are 
determined by the wandering instinct characteristic of pelagic 
species, and are subject at most only to influences of temperature, 
It is pointed out that, according to M. Pouchet, we know nothing 
concerning the life-history of the sardine. 
Then Prof. Marion’s conclusions concerning the Mediterranean 
sardine are described with this difference, that, whereas no observa- 
tions made by Prof. Pouchet are mentioned, some account is given 
of the observations of Prof. Marion on which his conclusions are 
founded. It cannot be said that full justice is done to these obser- 
vations, no mention being made of the eggs found in the sea, and 
identified by Prof. Marion as those of the sardine, but we must 
make allowance for the restrictions of space. 
No objection can be taken to the summary given of my own 
