244 



RATE OF GROWTH OF SOME SEA FISHES. 



long or very nearly so before it begins to spawn^ and does not 

 exceed 3 inches when one year old. It is therefore a probable 

 conclusion that, like the herring, the sprat begins to breed when it 

 is two years old. 



Pleuronectes microce'phalus, the Merry-sole. 



Mr. Holt gives 8 inches as the length of the smallest ripe female 

 of this species obtained by him on the west coast of Ireland. 



On March 30th, 1892, I measured two ripe females at Plymouth 

 obtained from a trawler, their lengths were 20"8 and 22-8 cm., or 

 8*2 and 9*0 inches. The minimum size of mature females is about 

 the same, therefore, on the south coast of England as on the west 

 coast of Ireland. In my previous paper I recorded the length of 

 the smallest ripe male, namely 6*4 inches. 



Glwpea pilchardus, the Pilchard. 



In the preceding number of this Journal I discussed very briefly 

 the early growth of the pilchard, while describing some young stages 

 of the fish which I had taken in the tow-net. I have now to record 

 some further evidence concerning the life-history of this species. 

 Last summer small-meshed drift-nets were obtained for the purpose 

 of the anchovy investigation, and when these were shot from time to 

 time during the autumn and winter, besides other fish a considerable 

 number of small pilchards were taken in them. For details as to 

 nets see paper on Experiments on the Relative Abundance of Anchovies 

 of the South Coast of England by Mr. Calderwood, in the present 

 number, p. 10. The number and size of the pilchards taken at each 

 shot of these nets in November and December 1891, and January 

 1892, are shown in the following table. 



