of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 48 



Summary. 



Imm. — 14 to 23 cm. : eggs, -1 --15 mm. : o, 2 -4 mm. : t, 1 -2-5 mm. : fat, 

 gx'eat quantity, practically none. 



Imm. dev. — 20 to 25 cm. : eggs, -2 -'4 mm. : o, 2'5-7 mm. : t, 3 -6 mm. : 

 fat, large quantity. 



S. Spr. F.— 26 to 32 cm.: eggs, M, 1-2 mm.: o, 31-36 mm.: t, 

 26 -40 mm. : fat, none, some. 



AuT. Spr. — 23 to 33 cm.: eggs, -7 -I'O mm.: o, 15-38 mm.: t, 20-38 mm.: 

 fat, large quantity, a little. 



W. Spr. — 20 to 30 cm.: eggs, -25 --7 mm. : o, 4-15 mm. ; t, 5 -21 mm : 

 fat, great quaDtity, some. 



S. Spt. — 23 to 32 cm.: eggs, -1 --25, -3, -5 mm.: o, 4-15 mm.: t, 

 7 -10 mm. : fat, none, large quantity. 



Winter Spawners. — The winter spawners no doubt consisted of immature 

 herrings which have begun to ripen, and of winter spents, developing also. 

 Some of the Campbeltown specimens had loose oviducts and large blood 

 vessels. 



Summer Spawners. — One difficulty is to estimate how long a fish requires 

 for its reproductory organ to ripen. I think that this period may be com- 

 parativel}^ short. The summer spawners are about fully developed. In a 

 full female, 30 cm. long, there were what appeared to be remains of old 

 ripe eggs in the ovai-y. 



Autumn Sjjawners. — The autumn spawners are a little behind the sum- 

 mer spawners, and in front of the winter spawners. The sample of large 

 herrings got at Strachnr belonged to this division. The herrings were, 

 witli one exception, not at all oily. One, a male, 26 cm. in length, was 

 somewhat oily in respect to its abdominal contents. 



Summer SjJents. —Recent spents had flabby reproductive organs. Old 

 unspawned eggs were found in some ovaries, e.g., one from Campbeltown, 

 and several from the East Coast. One Campbeltown spent had the small 

 flattened dry ovary, 4mm. broad. The eggs in the spents were very small. 

 The stroma generally had a dirty appearance, and old follicles could be 

 made out between the new eggs. Two spents which have been included 

 among the summer spents had their largest eggs measuring '3 and '5 mm. 

 respectively. Both may have been spring spents. 



The summer spent does not appear to be as ema.ciated as the winter 

 spent. 



[Table. 



