57 



cm., near Buchauness, at a distance of 88 miles ; and the tliird, in tlie same locality, 

 at a distance of 85 miles. 



Two were "nearly ripe," 1 of 37-40-9 cm., taken in December 1911, after 185 

 days, near Buchanness, where those above referred to were caught, at a distance of 

 87 miles ; and the other, in November 1913, after 892 days, a little farther to the 

 south, at a distance of 72 miles. 



One male, of 36-384 cm., recaptured in April 1912, after 305 days, to the north 

 and east, off Stonehaven, was described as " spent." 



Another, of 32 •5-35-5 cm., taken in December 1911, 26 miles to the north and 

 east, near the Bell Rock, was " fully half-ripe." 



Three of the adult males were " immature " ; 1 was taken in June and another 

 in July, in the Moray Firth, but the third was caught in March 1912, and thus within 

 the spawaiing season, within the Firth of Forth, at Pittenweem ; it measured 34-5- 

 38-2 cm. 



Femalesy — Two of the females were " spawning " ; 1 was caught in January 



1912, after 225 days, near Buchanness, at a distance of 90 miles ; it measured 35*5- 

 38-7 cm. ; the other was taken in February 1912, after 235 days, east of the Isle 

 of May, at a distance of 18 miles ; it measured 40-5-42-3 cm. 



Two were described as " ripe," one taken east of Aberdeen, offshore, at a distance 

 of 78 miles, in April 1912, after 302 days ; it measured 42-43-6 cm. ; the other 

 was found to the north and east of May Isle, at a distance of 18 miles, in December 



1913, after 915 days, and it measured 39-48-5 cm. A female, measuring .30-5-43-5 

 cm., and taken in November 1914, after 1250 days, south-east of Aberdeen, at a 

 d"stance of 60 miles, was described as " half-ripe." 



Among the "immature" females was 1, of 37-5-41-2 cm., taken in March 

 1912, after 260 days, near Pittenweem, in the Firth of Forth, and 1, of 34-38-9 

 cm., caught in January 1912, after 219 days, 63 miles to the north and east, south- 

 east of Aberdeen. 



Of the females under the adult size on recapture was 1 of 32-5-37-2 cm., taken 

 50 miles distant, off Tod Head, to the north and east, in April 1912, and 1, of 31-5- 

 36-3 cm., caught in May 1912, north and east of Buchanness, at a distance of 113 

 miles. 



EXPERIMENT VI. 



1th September 1911. 



In this experiment, 70 fish were marked and Uberated, consisting of 27 males, 

 23 females, and 20 whose sexes were not determined. The males ranged in size from 

 22-5 to 37-5 cm., and 9 were under the adult size ; the sizes of the females were from 

 24-5 to 65*5 cm., and 21 were under the adult size ; the sizes of those whose sexes 

 were not determined on liberation ranged from 25 to 44-5 cm.; of this lot, 16 were 

 recaptured, and the sex was found recorded for 10 of them, 3 being males and 7 

 females. 



The total number of fishes recaptured was 37, or 5^-8 per cent. ; of the males 

 recorded on liberation, 17, or 62-9 per cent., were recaptured ; of the females recorded 

 on hberation, 14, or 58-3 per cent., were recaptured ; and the number recaptured 

 of those whose sexes were not determined on hberation was 6, or 31-6 per cent. 

 In this experiment, therefore, the information in regard to the sexes is hmited. 



The fish were taken by trawl by the " Goldseeker " in Kirkcaldy Bay, Firth 

 of Forth, at 1-40 p.m. on the 6th September ; they were marked and placed in 

 tanks of running water until 8-30 a.m. on the 7th, when they were set free. 



Of the 17 males recaptured 14 were of adult size, viz. from 33-6 to 40-7 cm., the 

 average being 37-4 cm., compared with a range of from 22-5 to 37 cm., and an average 

 of 33-i cm. on hberation ; their periods of freedom varied from 110 to 1604 days, 

 the mean being 457 days ; they travelled distances of from 2| to 213 miles, the 

 average being 70 miles, and the mean rate of movement, 1-4 miles per 10 days. 

 Three of the males were under adult size, the average being 27-2 cm., which was also 

 the average on hberation ; they had been at liberty for from 7 to 181 days, 

 and migrated an average distance of 10 miles, with a mean rate of -86 mile per 10 

 days. Eight of the 14 females were of adult size, ranging from 39 to 44-2 cm., the 

 mean being 40*9 cm., compared with 28 to 40 cm. and an average of 35-3 cm. on 



