310 Part I1I.— Twenty-fourth Annual Report 
worth considering their origin. They could scarcely belong to the spring 
fish of the year, whose growth, as we have seen, is much slower; the two 
smaller might be referred to the previons autumn, and would thus be 
approximately ten months old; the one at 75mm. (almost 3 inches) is to 
be referred to the spring of the preceding year. According to the rate of 
growth given by Masterman, herrings “of that average size, if spring 
herrings, would be almost exactly twelve months old, and if autumn 
herrings, all but twelve months old (61mm.), 
It is, however, to be remarked that herrings of this size and larger 
are likely to escape from tow-nets, especially when used in daylight, and 
even from the slowly-towed and larger midwater net; and thus the 
average size of the herrings, except the smaller ones in collections 
obtained in this way, may be expected to be somewhat under rather than 
to exceed the true natural size for the group. 
If the two smaller belong to the same group as those which had an 
average length of 42°3mm, on 18th April, the increment in the 82 
summer days would amount to 15'‘7mm., or a mean of ‘19mm. per day, or 
5°9min. (4 inch) per month. 
In August we come again on the larval clupeoids. M‘Intosh mentions 
them under date 2nd, from 5mm. to 8mm. In Masterman’s tables, 
seven from 5mm. to llmm. are entered between 3rd and 9th ; also two 
at 15mm. and oneat 20mm. From the 22nd to the 30th, 71 measured 
from 4mm. to 12mm., and one was 19mm., possibly to be referred to the 
spring series. Omitting the larger, the average for the 71 at the end of 
August was 67mm. This may be taken as the size at which the 
autumn herring starts the beginning of September. 
In September M‘Intosh notes the appearance of clupeoids from 7mm. 
to 13‘5mm., the latter size only after the middle of the month. In the 
table of Masterman, 184 are entered between the 4th and 7th, of which 
181 measure from 4mm. to 9mm., and are mostly 6mm. ; one is 13mm., 
and two are 44mm. (12 inches), and no doubt represent the herrings 
hatched in March or April. 
From 13th to 30th there are 70 in two series, (1) 64 from 5mm. to 
18mm. and mostly about 11mm., (2) 6 on 17th from 36mm. to 40mm., 
the average being 39°0mm.; if these are combined with the two taken 
earlier, the range is from 36mm. to 44mm., and the average size 40°2mm. 
(12 inches). 
These are no doubt the spring herrings, which show an increment of 
8:lmm. (under 3 inches) in the 68 days (approximately) from the series 
of 9th July, or only ‘12mm. per day. 
On the 7th September two other larger herrings were taken, measuring 
75mm. and 80mm. (3, 3} inches), which no doubt represent the older 
series taken in July. 
In October, from the Ist to 9th, 34 measuring 7mm. to 19mm., and 
mostly about 13mm. to 14mm, are entered; from 11th to 19th, there 
are 82, in three groupings, (1) 4 at 6mm.—indicating a late spawning— 
(2) 66 from 12mm. to 20mm., most about 17mm. (14 inches) repre- 
senting the average size at this period, and (3) 12 from 32mm. to 41mm., 
taken on the 16th and 18th, the average length being 33°2mm. 
(1,3, inches), or less than those taken a month earlier, These probably 
represent the spring herrings. 
In November, the number is greatly diminished. From the Ist to the 
8th, 14, from 14mm. to 24mm., and averaging 17-3mm. were taken ; 
and from the 16th to the 24th, other four, from 19mm. to 26mm., the 
average length for the 18 specimens being 183mm. (barely } inches), 
which approximately represents the size of the autumn herring in 
November, some specimens, however, attaining a little over 1 inch. 
