of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 223 
(9-162 inches), the average being 32cm., or 123 inches. The largest 
member of the group in this case might be one at 38°6cm. (15 inches), 
as in the November collections, but in that of 12th December the division 
is not so placed. In the latter, 16 measured from 31:9cm. to 42:2cm. 
(124-163 inches). 
In the Dornoch Firth, on 19th December, 41 measured from 25cm. to 
41-6cm. (93-16% inches), the mean being about 3lem., or 127 inches. 
At Smith Bank, on the 27th December, 33 ranged from 25cm. to 37°5cm. 
(93-142 inches), the next fish measuring 45 6cm.; the average size was 
about 30cm., or 11? inches. On 6th December, at Burghead Bay, 32 
measured from 214cem. to 33°2cm. (8;/;-13;4 inches), the mean being 
about 27cm., or 102 inches. In this collection, as the other tables of 
measurements show, the larger fishes of the series were not present in due 
numbers, aud the two smaller fishes, 21*4cm. and 21*8cm., may belong to 
the younger series, which is not otherwise represented. 
A large collection of this series was obtained in Burghead Bay between 
the 20th and 25th December. They numbered 179, ranging from 
22°9cm. to 39°8cm. (9-153 inches), the average size being about 30°5cm., 
or 12 inches. A small collection on the 29th of the same month in 
another year, comprised 8 specimens of this series, their sizes ranging 
from 26cm. to 39°8em. (103-153 inches) (fig. 5, pl. XII.). 
In January, in Aberdeen Bay, 15 of this series measured from 26cm. 
to 40cm. (104-152 inches), the mean being 3lem. to 32cm., or 123 
inches. In the Cromarty Firth, on the 7th, 22 were from 25:8cm. to 
39°3cm. (1033,-152 inches), the mean being about 32cm., or 123 inches. 
A large collection was obtained off Dunbeath, on the Caithness coast, on 
17th January, and the 280 cod comprised in the series measured from 
23-1em. to 40°7cm. (93-16 inches), the average being about 31:5cm., or 
123 inches. These fish were obtained in the ordinary trawl-net, but at 
this size the fact will not affect the average to any material extent. 
No cod of this series were in the collections in February and 
March. On Ist April, 22, caught at Smith Bank, in the Moray Firth, 
ranged in length from 23-lem. to 38-8cm. (93-154 inches), Lut the higher 
limit of the series is less than it ought to be from the absence of the 
larger fishes ; the next longest to the one at 38cm. was one about 46cm. 
In May (when they were over two years old) five taken in Aberdeen Bay 
measured from 27cm. to 34cm. (103-133 inches), and three in the Firth of 
Forth were from 25cm. to 27cm. (93-102 inches). The numbers are 
too small, of course, on which to base a conclusion. In a large collection 
made up of the cod taken in several hauls of the ordinary trawl-net in 
deep water off the Shetlands (65 fathoms) between 19th and 22nd May, 
- 268 belonged to this group, and ranged in size from 25:2cm. to 41:2cm. 
(918-163 inches), by far the greater proportion measuring 3lcm. to 
34cm. (123-132 inches), and the mean being approximately 32°5cm., or 
12? inches, the arithmetic average being a little higher, viz., 32°7cm. 
(fig. 5, pl. XIT.). 
Looking to these averages and the averages in January and December, 
it appears that the cod on the east coast of Scotland when two years;of 
age measures, on the average, a little over 12 inches in length, probably 
123-124 (3lcem. to 32cm.); the range of sizes may be placed at from 
about 9 to over 16 inches. 
In the third year of life, after it has attained the size mentioned, 
growth is again rapid in the summer. I have referred to the size in May, 
when the fish are about thirteen months old. 
At Sinclair Bay, on the coast of Caithness, on 4th June, 20 specimens 
measured from 26-6cem. to 36-3cm. (16-223 inches) when they were about 
2 years and 2 months old, 
