of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 297 
herrings. To obviate as far as possible the risk of confusion, he measured 
only the smaller herrings at the various periods (the numbers are not 
stated) with the following results .— 
Mu. Inches. Increase, | 
Mm. 
14th November 1876, ... al 84 Soe 
End of November 1876, ... = 90 33°, 6 
:; December 1876, ... | 100 318 10 
» January 1877, ... = 110 4,5, 10 
February ,, i: aE 114 43 4 
March ei ae oe 135 6,5, 21 
yy eteyel Mg) At at sa 138 5 ie 3 
54 
Thus, the total growth in about 167 days, over the winter, according 
to these observations, was approximately 54mm. (21 inches), or at the 
rate of °32mm_ per day, or about 9:6mm. per month; that is to say, at 
about the same rate as the average growth of the smaller forms in the 
height of summer. 
This does not agree with my experience as to the growth of other 
fishes, in which growth is much retarded or completely arrested, it 
may be, in winter, and which grow fastest in the younger stages. 
Some experiments were made by keeping herrings in confinement. 
Two, taken on 12th August among a lot which measured from 50mm. 
to 55mm., were respectively 106mm. and 96mm, 44 months later. The 
growth thus amounted to about 48mm., or about 10°7mm. per month. 
Three of a medium size of 75mm. on the 24th October, kept in an 
aquarium, measured 100mm. on 28th December, 65 days later, or an 
increment of nearly -4mm per day ; at the end of January they measured 
110 mm. (an increase at the rate of almost ‘3mm. daily), the total 
increase in a little over three months being 35mm., or approximately 
llmm. per month. 
Meyer concluded that the spring herring of tne western part of the 
Baltic reach a length of from 130mm. to 140mm. (53-53 inches) at the end 
of their first year; that a month after the fertilisation of the eggs the 
mass of larve, in water over 12°C. (53°6°F.), measure from 17mm. to 
18mm. ; in two months, from 34mm. to 36mm., and in three months from 
45mm. to 50mm., growth thereafter for the remaiming months of the 
twelve being approximately at a similar rate of 10mm. or 11mm. per 
month. 
Ripe herrings, both spring and autumn, were found at 20cm. (73 
inches); these were the smallest, more commonly the size at first- 
maturity was 210mm. to 220mm. (87 to 83 inches), and he states that they 
are got in the Baltic from 160mm. to 200mm. His conclusion is that the 
herring does not reach sexual maturity before the end of the second year, 
but this conclusion is pieced together from various considerations that 
appeared to him probable, and was not attained by direct evidence. 
A few years later, Meyer made a number of observations on the 
growth of young herrings from artificially fertilised eggs (15a). The 
eggs were fertilised on 26th April, and before hatching they were placed 
in a wooden vat supplied with fresh supplies of water daily. Hatching 
occurred in from 14 to 15 days, the temperature being 51°8° to 53°6°F.; 
later in the summer the temperature of the water was about 68°F, 
After a few days some showed a considerable increase in size, measuring 
