of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



401 



The weights, as already explained {p. 334), are given from the curve 

 obtained by Aveighing a number of whitings at different sizes, and they 

 show more impressively than the measurement of the length the variations 

 in growth that may exist Avithin the limits of one generation, at Aberdeen, 

 for example, from five to forty-three grammes in the first series, and from 

 47 to 234 in the second. While the average length of a whiting in the 

 Forth when one year old is about 4^ inches and its weight about half an 

 ounce, at Aberdeen its length is about 5| inches and its weight 

 approximately three-quarters of an ounce. Growth during the following 

 year adds scarcely four inches to the length of the whiting in the Forth, 

 but its weight is increased between five and six-fold, viz., to nearly 2| 

 ounces ; at Aberdeen its length is increased by over four inches and its 

 weight to slightly over four ounces. When three years old the Forth 

 whiting measures about 12| inches and weighs slightly over ten ounces, 

 having increased its weight in the year by about 7-^ ounces. • 



THE HADDOCK {Gadus o'.glefinus, L.). 



The haddock spawns on the East Coast in February, Marcli, and 

 April, and for the most part in IMarch, but spawning fishes may be 

 obtained sometimes as early as the end of January and as late as the 

 beginning of May. The great bulk of the larval haddocks are probably 

 hatched in the early part of April, when they have a length of about 

 4 mm. Their growth subsequently is rapid, and, as is the case with the 

 whiting, they are at first pelagic and do not frequent the bottom until of 

 considerable size. 



The earliest collections of the young haddocks made with the small- 

 meshed bottom net were obtained at the end of July ; none were taken at 

 the end of June or beginning of July. In Aberdeen Bay on 31st July 

 twenty-two were secured, the largest measuring 125 mm., or 4[j?- inches, 

 and the smallest 98 mm., or 3^ inches, the average computed being 

 1087 mm. On the day before, in a haul in 62 fathoms off Aberdeen, 



