198 Part III—Twenty-fourth Annual Report 
period when maturity is reached. The third series of females, which 
comprises the greater number of fishes, begins about 12°5cm. and appears 
to extend to 20cm. ‘The cone in the curve is a wide one, and the apex, 
or point where the fish are chiefly aggregated, is at 16°5cm. (64 inches). 
The results may be stated in tabular form as follows :— 
| R : A Apparent 
Group. | Sex. Probable Age. pet gt we8e =| Growth in 
Size. Size. Wout 
| | ear. 
eee ee Pee, See SE ee 
TF — 10 months. 47-68mm. | 57‘4mm. 57mm. 
i { 2 1 year and 10 months. 9-I3em. | Llem. 55cm. 
3 on aA 9-12em. | 10cm. 45cm. 
an { 2 2 years and 10 months. | 12°5-20cm. | 16*5cem. 5-5em. 
3 55 LD 11‘5-l6em, | 13°5em, 3’dem, 
In the collection obtained on 1st April the sexes were also separated 
and measured in the older groups. In the second series, or those about 
two years old, the females extended in length from 89mm. to 126mm. 
(33-442 inches), the average being about 10°5cem., or 44 inches. This. 
shows a rate of growth of about 5cm., (2 inches) from the previous year’s 
fish. The males extended from about 9cm. to llem., (34-42 inches), 
the average length being about 10cm., or a little less, indicating a growth 
from the previous year’s series of about 4°5cm. (1? inches). 
In the third group represented the females extend from 131mm. to 
apparently 210mm. (53-83 inches), the fish being mostly aggregated 
between 15cm. and 17em., the apex of the curve being at 17cm. If the 
latter be taken as the mean size of the group, the growth from the 
previous series would be on the average about 6‘5cm., or 24 inches, which 
is too large for this series. The presence of a small cusp at 15cm. leads 
oue to suspect that this group is made up of two series. 
The males of the third series are not numerous, and their size extends 
from about 11cm. to 15cm., the average length being approximately 13cm., 
or 5% inches; the amount of growth indicated in the year from the 
previous series being 3cm., or barely an inch and a quarter. In tabular 
form the particulars are these :— 
| Apparent 
Group. | Sex. Probable Age. | Range in Size.| Average Size. | Growth in 
| Year. 
wiPTTES eS Ae de Ss a a ee 
Te | — 1 year. 47-70mm. 562mm. 5'5em. 
2 years. 9-13em. 10°5cem. 50cm. 
II ‘ ¢ 4 
3 N 9-1lem. 10cm. 4:5em, 
fe) 3 years. (13-21cm. ) (17) (6‘5cm.) 
10D 
! 3 me 11-l5em. 13 3em. 
| 
