Examination of Whitebait. 97 



As a prelude to the clupeoids referred to below in Ser. I.-VL, 

 we had previously made a critical examination of between 

 900 and 1,000 others, between 9th February and 16th March. 

 On the first date 61 specimens ranged from 26 millims. (1 inch) 

 to 50 millims. (2 inches) ; there being only three of the latter. 

 On the second date 65 specimens, the extremes were from 25 

 millims. (1 inch) to 67 millims. (under 2f inches), with the 

 addition of a herring 4f inches, and a sprat 3 inches long. 

 These were not picked, but fair samples of catch. The sizes 

 in the other lots at intervening dates agreed with the above. 



We now take the inventory of the entire contents of a box of 

 whitebait, caught on 17th March, 1899, near the Knock Buoy. 

 It was open, moderate weather. The fish were not culled, but 

 simply placed in the receptacle as taken from the whitebaiter's 

 stow-net. We dispense with minutiae of data, merely giving 

 results in the ta.ble (p. 99). 



After general examination of the material and a study of 

 the developmental conditions extant the following method was 

 employed. Division was made into six typical series infra by 

 placing these aside for constant reference a plateful of each. 

 In these type-sets every individual fish was rigidly measured 

 in millimetres, a rough conversion into inches being super-added. 

 Then, lot by lot of the others were taken out haphazard from 

 the boxful, separated into dishes according to size and condition 

 by the eye, comparing them with the types whenever doubt arose, 

 and their numbers counted. The 1st and 2nd scries differ 

 from the others, inasmuch as while they represent a single 

 series so far as general size is concerned, they are each a double 

 series, or contain a sub-series with regard to their stage of 

 development. 



In what follows in tabular form, it should be borne in mind 

 that the enormous numbers of fish in this box does not 

 necessarily hold good throughout the season. It is the excep- 

 tion, not the rule, and represents only what occurs when the 

 larval stages are pre-eminent. Moreover, as described further 



G 



