of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 221 
In Aberdeen Bay, 18, obtained on 21st August, measured from 6:5cm. 
to 88cm. (2;°,-33 inches), the average size being 7‘7em., or 3 inches. 
In collections trom the 3rd to the 10th September, the range of the 42 
specimens was from 6em, to 15:3cm. (23-6 inches), the average size being 
9-5cem., or 3? inches (fig. 6, pl. XII.). On 18th October 75 measured from 
78cm. to 19°9cm. (3;;-73 inches), the average size being 12cm., or 4? 
inches. On the 3lst of the same month, but in a different year, 21 
ranged from 4°8cem. to 15°7cem. (14-6,%, inches), the average size being 
12cm., or 4? inches. A week later, on the 6th November, a large 
collection of 301 had a range from 8°6cm. to 19cm. (33-74 inches), the 
average being 12cm., or 4? inches, the same as on 18th October. At 
the end of the month, on the 28th and 29th, 38 measured from 7:8cm. 
to 20°'7cm. (3,1,-8;% inches), the average being approximately 13cm., or 
53 inches; and on 16th December in the same year, 18 ranged from 
8-3em. to 20°8cm. (34-8,°; inches), also with an approximate average of 
13cm. 
At the middle of January, 7 ranged from 9-7em. to 16:2cm, (443-63 
inches), the average size being about 12°5cm., or 5 inches. Then on 11th 
February in another year, 16 were from 8cm. to 17cm. (33-62 inches), 
the average being the same, and on 29th March, the last collection from 
Aberdeen Bay containing fish under one year of age, 6 ranged from 9cm. to 
19cm. (34-74 inches), the average size being about 13°5cm., or 52 inches, 
It will thus be seen that the young cod increase in size rapidly in the 
summer and up to October, and that after that to March the increase 
appears to be but slight. ‘The numbers obtained in the winter and early 
spring were, however, small. The increase from August to the end of 
the year was about 2 inches or a little more. 
The collections of cod under one year of age from other parts of the east 
coast are, as a rule, small, but one or two are fairly large. In the Dornoch 
Firth, on 9th and 10th November, 78 measured from 9:7cm. to 19:lem. 
(313-73 inches), and the average size was about 12'5cm., or 414 inches 
(fig. 6, pl. XII.). In Burghead Bay, also in the Moray Firth, on 20th and 
25th December, in another year, 91 ranged in length from 10:5cm. to 
21-9cm. (43-7,°, inches), the average size being about 15cm., or 54 inches. 
In the Cromarty Firth, on 7th January, 16 measured from 8°7cm. to 22°2em., 
(34-82 inches), and on 17th January, in another part of the Moray Firth, 
17 ranged in length from 13-8cm. to 22-3cm. (54-82 inches), but these 
fish were taken in the ordinary trawl-net, and the smaller specimens are 
not duly represented. 
The collections when the cod is one year of age, in April or the end of 
March, are not sufficient to show with precision its size at that period, 
but, from what has been said and from what follows as to the size a 
little later, it may be placed at about 54 or 54 inches (13cm. or 14cm.), 
with a range from 3 to 8 inches or a little more (7'5cm. to 20cm.). ‘The 
growth of the cod in its second year appears to be somewhat more rapid, 
probably owing to its becoming more and more piscivorous in its 
feeding. 
The second series, comprising cod in their second year, is well repre- 
sented by over 2000 fish in 48 of the collections. The growth in summer 
is rapid. In Aberdeen Bay, 5 taken on 13th May ranged from 14cm. 
to 20-7cm. (53-83 inches). In the Firth of Forth, 145, caught between 
13th and 16th May, measured from 96cm. to to 23cm. (33-92 inches), 
with an average length of l5cem., or 52 inches. On Ist April, 4 caught 
at Smith Bank, in the Moray Firth, were from 12-8em. to 20°3em. (5;4,- 
8 inches), and 3 taken in deep water off the Shetlands on 19th and 22nd 
May were from 18-lem. to 23°7cm., or between 72 and 93 inches. 
