RATE OF GROWTH OF SOME SEA FISHES. 255 



8 cm. in length tlie absence of the latter is of course not proved. 

 Seines are also used in the French fishery, but not generally, and 

 their introduction has given rise to a great deal of agitation, the 

 majority of the fishermen with their usual conservatism asserting 

 that the greater efficiency of the seines, which secure very large 

 catches, upsets the regular working of the industrial organisation, 

 and will lead to the extermination of the sardine. 



In Pouchet's Report for 1889 we have the regime of the sardine 

 de rogue for that year exhibited and discussed in the usual manner. 

 The table of the season appears to be taken, like that for 1888, 

 from the trade journal published at Nantes, and gives the average 

 number of the fish per box for every day of the season. In the 

 Report it is pointed out that the constant phenomena evident in this, 

 as in all seasons, are — 1st, that the fish is always smaller at the 

 south of the fishing area, namely, towards Sables d'Olonne, than in 

 the north towards Concarneau ; 2nd, that the fishing begins first in 

 the south and extends progressively towards the northern stations, 

 and ceases in the same order. Thus, the fishing commenced at 

 Sables on May 3rd at Douarnenez on June 15th, was over at Sables 

 on the 15th September, and on the coast of Finisterre continued 

 till the 15th November, 



The peculiar features of the season were the following : — Up to 

 the 15th August the fish continued of the same dimensions, then on 

 the coast of Finisterre very small fish came in, which might be 

 regarded as the poisson de Juillet, appearing some weeks later than 

 usual. These fish showed themselves from the south to the north 

 progressively. If we look at the figures for Concarneau we find the 

 size of the fish in July was 8 to 10, that is 14*5 to 15'5 cm. long, 

 25 to 31 grammes in weight. The small fish were taken only on 

 three or four days in August, and were 26 to 30 to the box, that is 

 about 8"6 grammes in weight, and 10"5 cm. long'. Small as these 

 seem to have been, and difficult as it is to judge of their real size 

 by such an unsatisfactory method, it seems to me that they must 

 have been derived from a late spawning of the previous year. 



In this same Report Pouchet gives a complete record of his 

 observations on the condition of the generative oi'gans in the adult 

 sardines, the chief result of which is that he found mature eggs 

 only in specimens over 19 cm. in length, and only in April, 1890, 

 and May, 1888. 



In my endeavours above to deduce the age of the sardines de 

 rogue, whose sizes are recorded by Pouchet, I have assumed that the 

 spawning period at Concarneau is practically the same as at 

 Plymouth. Pouchet^s observations show that «ome pilchards spawn 

 at Concarneau in April ; but they give no indication of summer or 



