20 



males in the deeper water further outside the Bay. From 

 the returns it will be observed that all the females above 3 

 inches procured in the first hauls (12th and 28th November ; 

 I2th, 17th, and 30th December ; 7th, loth, and 21st January) 

 were in berry. Those in hard old shell (12th November, 12th 

 December, 17th December) were under 3 inches or, if larger, 

 were in deeper waters near Robben Island (13th November). 



On the 28th January and again on the 4tli February large 

 males were got, but no females. 



On the 6th, 14th and 24th February the neighbourhood of 

 Hout Bay was visited, and only large males and females (with- 

 out eggs) were got. This locality is said to be somewhat 

 earlier than Table Bay, but no valid conclusion can be drawn 

 from these few hauls. 



The tables throw some light on the much-discussed question 

 of the size at maturity of the female. This can best be shown 

 by the following tables of size and numbers of berried females : — 



I + 2 + 



+ 4+ 5+ 6+ 7+ 



+• 



19 



35 



From this it is seen that the smallest female in berry was 

 between 2 and 3 inches. Berried females between 3 and 4 

 inches were by far the most abundant, and there was a rapid 

 falling off above 4 inches, there being only 13 between 4 and 5 

 inches, 3 between 5 and 6 inches, and none above 6 inches. 

 No females of any kind, in berry or not, were procured above 

 this last size, though several males were procured over 6 inches. 



