308 Part [IT.—Twenty-fourth Annual Report 
(a) Larval and Post-Larval Stages. 
Considerable collections of larval and small post-larval clupeoids and 
herrings were obtained by the ‘‘Garland” during the years she was 
engaged in the Forth and adjoining waters, which have been tabulated in 
the Board’s Reports* by various workers. In Professor M‘Intosh’s 
tablesf referring to the pelagic fauna of St. Andrews Bay, various young 
clupeoids are tabulated, and a large number also in the paper by Master- 
man previously mentioned. 
It is important to determine the rate of growth of the herring in the early 
stages, first of all, and I have therefore brought together in the table 
subjoined most of the measurements contained in the lists referred to, 
those given by Masterman in his paper and by M‘Intosh in his tables, 
as well as those in the later collections of the Fishery Board. M‘Intush 
states that towards the end of March myriads of young clupeoids, 
apparently herrings, throng the lower part of the water in St. Andrews 
Bay. They had probably only escaped from the eggs, though the 
absence of the yolk-sac in many, and the presence of well-marked 
embryonic fin-rays, showed that they were some days old. He also 
states that in this month numerous young sprats, from 13 to 1? inches 
(34mm. to 45mm.), were captured in the mid-water net. 
A précis of the collections examined by Masterman shows the 
following :— 
In January (19th, 20th) eleven herrings measured from 42mm. to 
56mm., the average size being 48mm. to 49mm. (148 inches). According 
to Masterman’s tables showing the increments of growth per month, these 
are much too large to be the autumn herrings of the year before, which at 
the period would measure, on his scale, only about 30mm., or less; and 
they correspond rather to the spring herrings of the previous year, which 
at nine months would be about 50mm., and this would take them back to 
May ; if referred to April, they ought to be about 54mm. They cannot 
be sprats, for, apart from diagnosis at that stage, the sprats in March, as 
stated above, measure only 34mm. to 45mm. The evidence obtained 
by myself supports the view that they are the herrings of the previous 
spring. 
Tr eerie (19th) nine herrings from 35mm. to 41mm. (18 to 13 
inches), and with a mean size of 37-3mm. (14 inches), were caught. 
On lst March eleven, from 33mm. to 39mm.; on 7th—21st, ten, from 
26mm. to 44mm.; and on 3list, one of 40mm., were taken, making 
altogether for the month, 22, from 26mm. to 44mm., with a mean of 
about 35mm. (13 inches). 
In April (2nd—18th) twelve measured from 32mm. to 49mm. (all but 
the two smallest on 18th), the average being 42°3mm. (1+} inches). 
All these were quite distinct from the young herrings that appear 
about this time, to be referred to below, and with these we have the 
following larger forms, viz.—(1) 14th to 3lst March, seven herrings, 
from 79mm. to 103mm., with an average length of 95°6mm. (32 inches), 
and on 29th April one at 110mm. (4% inches). 
In January-March we have thus three groups of these older clupeoids 
—(1) Those in January, with an average of 48mm. to 49mm., belonging 
to the previous spring; (2) in February, March, and April, a group 
* 8th, p. 270; 9th, p. 334; 10th, p. 300, by Professor M‘Intosh ; and the others in 
the llth, p. 250; 12th, pp. 298, 300; 18th, p. 258; 14th, p. 223; 15th, p. 246, by 
Masterman, Tosh, Williamson, Wallace, and Kyle, 
+Jbid., 7th, p, 267 ; 11th, p, 284, 
