﻿412 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  the 
  water 
  is 
  of 
  full 
  oceanic 
  salinity 
  — 
  in 
  the 
  Bay 
  of 
  Fundy 
  being 
  about 
  

   1.026 
  — 
  but 
  in 
  the 
  Schlei 
  they 
  are 
  found 
  sjjawning 
  in 
  water 
  of 
  a 
  density 
  

   of 
  but 
  1.0076, 
  which 
  is 
  i)ractically 
  fresh. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  Passamaquody 
  Bay 
  the 
  two 
  sexes 
  of 
  the 
  herring 
  

   appear 
  to 
  be 
  represented 
  in 
  approximately 
  equal 
  numbers, 
  although 
  

   observations 
  indicate 
  a 
  slight 
  i)redominauce 
  of 
  the 
  females. 
  In 
  July, 
  

   August, 
  and 
  September, 
  1893, 
  record 
  was 
  made 
  of 
  the 
  sexes 
  of 
  929 
  

   specimens 
  selected 
  at 
  random 
  from 
  fish 
  caught 
  at 
  various 
  times 
  and 
  

   places, 
  with 
  the 
  result 
  shown 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  table 
  : 
  

  

  This 
  indicates 
  an 
  average 
  of 
  106 
  females 
  to 
  each 
  100 
  males, 
  and 
  

   although 
  the 
  examination 
  of 
  a 
  larger 
  series 
  would 
  doubtless 
  change 
  

   the 
  result 
  somewhat, 
  this 
  proportion 
  can 
  be 
  asserted 
  with 
  reasonable 
  

   assurance 
  to 
  be 
  within 
  a 
  small 
  percentage 
  of 
  the 
  truth. 
  The 
  examina- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  a 
  larger 
  number 
  of 
  herring 
  by 
  Scotch 
  fishery 
  officers 
  gave 
  an 
  

   average 
  of 
  99 
  females 
  to 
  100 
  males. 
  The 
  data 
  in 
  the 
  foregoing 
  table 
  

   must 
  not 
  be 
  adduced 
  to 
  show 
  the 
  proportions 
  of 
  ripe 
  and 
  unripe 
  fish 
  

   during 
  the 
  season 
  mentioned, 
  as 
  that 
  would 
  depend 
  entirely 
  upon 
  the 
  

   time 
  and 
  i)lace 
  of 
  capture. 
  Most 
  of 
  the 
  unripe 
  fish 
  examined 
  were 
  

   below 
  the 
  minimum 
  size 
  of 
  sexual 
  maturity, 
  and 
  were 
  taken 
  far 
  from 
  

   the 
  spawning-grounds. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  act 
  of 
  reproduction, 
  as 
  T 
  witnessed 
  it 
  at 
  Cross 
  Island 
  and 
  

   Machias 
  Bay, 
  the 
  fish 
  were 
  darting 
  rapidly 
  about, 
  and 
  those 
  who 
  have 
  

   opportunity 
  to 
  see 
  the 
  fish 
  spawning 
  in 
  more 
  shallow 
  waters, 
  where 
  

   observation 
  is 
  more 
  favorable, 
  state 
  that 
  both 
  males 
  and 
  females 
  are 
  

   in 
  constant 
  motion, 
  rubbing 
  against 
  one 
  another 
  and 
  upon 
  the 
  bottom, 
  

   apparently 
  by 
  pressure 
  aiding 
  in 
  the 
  discharge 
  of 
  the 
  eggs 
  and 
  milt. 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  extrusion 
  of 
  the 
  eggs 
  they 
  are 
  covered 
  with 
  a 
  sticky 
  

   mucus 
  which 
  speedily 
  hardens 
  upon 
  contact 
  with 
  the 
  water 
  and 
  causes 
  

   firm 
  adhesion 
  to 
  the 
  bottom 
  upon 
  which 
  they 
  fall. 
  They 
  are 
  sometimes 
  

   spread 
  out 
  into 
  thin 
  layers, 
  or 
  they 
  may 
  be 
  in 
  small 
  irregular 
  lumps 
  or 
  

   masses, 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  circumstances 
  attending 
  their 
  discharge. 
  

   They 
  measure 
  about 
  0.05 
  inch 
  in 
  diameter. 
  In 
  a 
  ripe 
  female 
  the 
  ovaries 
  

   constitute 
  about 
  one-fifth 
  of 
  the 
  total 
  weight, 
  and 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  

   investigations 
  of 
  Dr. 
  Wemyss 
  Fulton, 
  the 
  total 
  number 
  of 
  ova 
  ripening 
  

   annually 
  varies 
  from 
  21,000 
  to 
  47,000, 
  the 
  average 
  being 
  about 
  31,000. 
  

  

  All 
  the 
  individuals 
  of 
  a 
  school 
  do 
  not 
  ripen 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time, 
  fish 
  

   with 
  roes 
  and 
  milts 
  far 
  from 
  mature 
  being 
  associated 
  with 
  those 
  in 
  

   which 
  the 
  products 
  are 
  loose 
  and 
  free 
  in 
  the 
  glands, 
  but 
  it 
  was 
  observed 
  

   in 
  1893 
  that 
  the 
  proportion 
  of 
  ripe 
  fish 
  in 
  a 
  school 
  increased 
  as 
  the 
  

   spawning-grounds 
  were 
  approached. 
  For 
  instance, 
  at 
  Campobello, 
  in 
  

  

  