of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 301 
Almost all the autumn herrings which were above 10 inches in length 
were ripe or approaching maturity ; and it must be remembered that this 
was the chief spawning time. 
Some particulars of other cases may be given. In the collection from 
the Dornoch Firth on 12th November, 1903, thirteen were examined. 
They ranged from 176mm, to 197mm. (7-7? inches), and their weight 
from 37.5 to 57 grammes. In all cases the reproductive organ was 
extremely minute and immature, the heaviest (from a male) weighing 
0-03 grammes. These herrings were extremely fat, and there was a large 
quantity of fat in the abdominal cavity. This fat, as I have elsewhere 
suggested, is probably used up, not only in connection with the develop- 
ment of the reproductive organs, but also for the production of energy, 
in tiding over the winter, when growth, and even the power of digestion, 
is to a large extent in abeyance. 
Other herrings, taken in Aberdeen Bay on 29th December, measuring 
148 and 153mm. (6 inches) were quite immature and were also full 
of fat. 
In the spring herring from the Forth, as will be seen later, two series 
are represented, tho average size of the smaller, but fully mature, fish 
being about 93 inches, and the range from 84 to about 10 inches. 
I think there is little doubt that these herrings represent shoals spawning 
for the first time, and that the average size of the winter or spring 
spawner on this part of the coast, when maturity is first reached, is about 
23-5em. (9; inches), while some may spawn when about 2lem. to 22cm. 
(8 to 8? inches), and others probably not till they are 26-5em. or 28cm. 
(10 inches), agreeing in respect of variation in size with what obtains in 
the first mature group among other fishes. In all cases the fish in a 
group of the same year exhibit considerable variations in length, and it 
is the average rather than the extremes that have to be considered. 
The mean size I have assigned to the spring herrings when they first 
spawn is nearly the same as has been given by Hoek for the herrings 
of the Zuider-zee (supra), viz, 24em. to 27em., and by Boeck for the 
Norwegian herring, viz., 25cm. 
It is of some importance to establish the size at first maturity in 
connection with the consideration of the growth of the fish and the 
number of annual series which precede the reproductive one. 
3.—MAXIMUM SIZE ATTAINED BY THE HERRING. 
It is also desirable to say something as to the size to which herrings 
grow. In our waters few are caught over 12 inches (30°5cm.) in length. 
In those examined at Anstruther, above referred to, two were 12? 
inches (324mm. and 325mm.), and only 33 were above 11 inches. 
The largest herring that came under the observation of Huxley during the 
enquiry in Scotland measured 12,6, inches (32cm.), and the smallest full, 
it may be said, was 102 inches (26-5cm.); but he mentions that the 
Fishery Officer stated that it was not uncommon to get Orkney herrings 
that measured 14 or 15 inches long, and he had got one of 17 inches 
(43°2cm.), a size mentioned by Buckland as the largest for a herring on 
record. 
At Aberdeen the longest observed by Sim was 12+ inches (31:2cm.), its 
weight being 9? 0z.; Matthews (19) got one 33-5cm. long, and another, 
33°3em.; while Brook (20) states that in Lochfyne he has seen herrings 
in August “ quite 15 inches long,” or 37cm, ‘~ 
De Caux (4) records one of 153 inches (39:4cem,), and Murie (21) 
another of 144 inches (36:lcm,) The largest obtained by Ljungmann (6) 
