300 Part ITL.—Twenty-fourth Annual Report 
Mature herrings, both male and female, are indeed occasionally taken 
which have a length of about 8 inches (20cm.), or even slightly under 
that size. I have found a few of this size at Ballantrae Bank in March 
with fully developed reproductive organs, but they were exceedingly 
exceptional. They were not quite so rare between 8 and 9 inches (20°3cm 
to 22°8cm.),but the great majority of these small herrings were immature. 
Matthews (19, p. 96) records ripe herring from Lochfyne in February, 
between 19cm, and 20cm. (74 to 8 inches), and he mentions one that he 
examined (place and date not stated), which measured only 7} inches 
(18:4cm.) ; it was the smallest among about 3000 young herrings he 
examined over a period of two years. 
Among several thousands examined by myself, the smallest fully 
ripe herring measured 21:lem. (83 inches). There were two of this size 
among 2178 landed in February and March, 1904, at Anstruther, in 
the Firth of Forth. They were thus spring herrings, and formed part of 
the spawning shoals which habitually visit the mouth of the Firth in 
spring to spawn. They were all mature fish, the spawn and milt flowing 
from them in February (16th), when none among the 1023 measured 
were spent; but on this occasion the smallest were :—Males, one at 
21'8cm., three at 22°3cm., two at 25cm., two at 26cm., and altogether 
from 22°5em. to 22°9em.—21 males; females, one at 22:5cm., one at 
22-6cm., three at 22°7cm., and altogether between 22°5cm. and 22-9cm. 
(8% to 9 inches)-——-there were 15 females. 
In March, when 1155 were measured, 40 of the females and 43 of the 
males were spent ; the smallest of these was a female measuring 21.5cem. 
(83 inches), the next spent female being 22°8cm.; the smallest male was 
23cm. Among the fish still spawning, the number of each sex at the 
smallest measurements were these :— 
211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 
Mia eae t oven ‘eel = ] 1 1 3 3 3 3 3 8 10 9 il 
Female Ave i = = = 1 ») 1 = D 5 5 i 8 7 
Moreover, among many hundreds ef. autumn spawners from various 
parts of the east coast, examined in July and August, the smallest ripe 
female in the latter month was 9 inches, or 23cm., the weight of the fish 
being 92°3 grammes, and the ovaries 13:1 grammes. It was quite an 
exception. The smallest male that was mature measured also 9 inches, 
the testes weighixrg 12°5 grammes. 
Other particulars regarding these small herrings may be summarised. 
A male at 9 inches (23cm.), and weighing 110°3 grammes, was approaching 
ripeness, the testes weighing 9°2 grammes. One at 9,5, inches (23 6cm.) 
was fully mature, as were other two at 23-5cm. and 23°8cm. One male 
at 83 inches (21-5cm.), weighing 90 grammes, had testes which weighed 
9°5 grammes, and was judged to be about half ripe. 
Among small female herrings, some measuring 23-9cem. (102 grammes), 
25cm. (106 grammes), 24:1lem. (128-4 grammes), 24cm. (105 grammes), 
and with roes weighing from 16 to 22°6 and 25 grammes, were 
judged to be approaching maturity. On the other hand, some females 
from 8; to 10 inches (21cm. to 25°5cm.) were immature, their weights 
ranging from 93 to 133:7 grammes, and the weight of the ovaries from 
2°3 grammes (in the one at 10 inches) to 1-6 and 6:4 grammes. 
Besides these, there were many whose sex could not be distinguished 
by the naked eye. They ranged from 7? to 103 inches (19:5cem. to 26cm.) 
and from 55:5 grammes upwards, with reproductive organs from under 
1 gramme in weight to 2°7 grammes. 
