194 Part IT]. —Twenty-jfirst Annual Report 
The third series in November and August are obviously imperfect, 
comparatively few anglers having been obtained, or at least measured, 
and the remark also applies to most of the series in the other mouths, 
although as a rule three groups are manifestly represented. It would 
have been of interest to compare the series got in the deep water 
with those from the Moray Firth and Aberdeen Bay, but they are 
imperfect. The indications, however, are that growth is slower, or at 
least that at a corresponding date the first series represented—fish about 
and over one year of age—are somewhat smaller in the deep water off the 
Shetlands where, as with the haddock and whiting, etc., spawning is 
probably later. 
The measurements of anglers obtained by the “Garland” are not 
represented with sufficient minuteness to be of much value in studying 
the rate of growth, since they are grouped in inches. I give here, how- 
ever, for comparison those for two years in the Forth and St, Andrews 
Bay :— 
SIZE IN INCHES. 
5 | 6 | @ | 8) 9 | 20) WL) 127) 1389) 14 5) 26 7.) 1S) LON ZONA Zoe eb 
tela lar |) ar las |e lam ae Wee iam Woe se dice Wari se lar i} ar i] ae i} se i =e 
Jans \- - - - - . - - - : - E 5 1 Po 5 = 2 5 % 
Feb. . - 2 ~ S 
Mar. . = - - = - - 1 - - - 1 - 1 - 2 - ; = 1] 5 
Aprileen|) etal - =e al : rll galeries: 3 UO yr 4 
May 5 - - - 1 - - 2 1 1 if 1 - - = = - is 3 2 2 
June . - PA |y AP ei TE We th 1 ah ORS ih eects Iho bal) Up aeel al - =i) arabe 
July . - - 1 4 1 1 5 2 1 - 
Aug. .. | = - SSN tall) en MOO CRS: |e Wall mrsall arouse willl aaa Pare pe ee fea LY) =) 3} 
Sept. DI PANIIT oe Ne SINS YUN Pee res ISS 2 Meee! 
Octamen. = - mH S| evi eLON eA) weiner) 4a om ees de 1 - 
Nov. . = - - Sei} oe | Ess i Gal iz) val 1 eS 
Dec: . <j Zhi) el CofE Peele IE es Te cai a - 4 
The observations therefore appear to warrant the following statement 
as approximately representing the growth of the angler :— 
Length. 
Approximate Age. Smallest. Largest. Mean. 
Six months, . : . *5 inches. 82 inches. 62 inches. 
One year and 6 months, 9 __,, 1513 122 ee 
+Two years and 6 months, 143 _,, 21-22 18=1Gar 
When three years old, supposing a little less than the same rate of 
increase continues—and in fishes growth is not usually much reduced in 
rapidity before the period of maturity is reached—the angler will measure 
approximately twenty-one inches in length, and when four years old 
about twenty-six or twenty-seven inches. The information as to the size 
at which maturity is first attained is not extensive, but males may be 
* Smallest caught. 
+ Derived from computing the second group in August or at the beginning of 
November. 
