Professor Cossar Eivart on Whiteboiit. 70 



bait consists of about 80 per cent, of herring, and about 20 

 per cent, of sprats. 



In order to extend further this inquiry, with a view to 

 ascertaining whether our own waters might yield what 

 whitebait we require, I have examined samples of the white- 

 bait sent into the London market from the middle of Feb- 

 ruary to the middle of August 1885. During February, 

 1400 specimens of whitebait were examined, with the result 

 that 93 per cent, were sprats, and 7 per cent, were herring. 

 The sprats varied from 2 to 3 inches in length, while some 

 of the herring were under 2 inches in length, and only partly 

 provided with scales. 



During March, 1200 specimens were examined. Of these, 

 95 per cent, were sprats (from 2 to 2J inches in length), and 

 5 per cent, were herring (some of the herring were nearly 

 4 inches in length). 



In April, 800 specimens were examined. Of these 86 

 per cent, were sprats and 14 per cent, herring. During 

 April the whitebait diminished considerably in size, and the 

 percentage of herring greatly increased. The average size of 

 the sprats was 2 inches, while 12 per cent, of the herring 

 were under 1 J inches in length, and had only the keeled scales 

 developed. The samples at the end of April contained 40 

 per cent, of only slightly scaled herring, which measured 

 from 1 to IJ inches in length. 



Of the 600 specimens examined in May, 70 per cent, were 

 sprats and 30 per cent, were herring. Most of the sprats 

 were 2\ inches in length, while 40 per cent, of the herring 

 were about 2 inches in length, and almost completely scaled ; 

 the others were from IJ to If inches in length, and only 

 partly scaled. At end of the month nearly 85 per cent, of 

 the specimens examined were partly scaled herring. 



Eight hundred specimens were examined in June. Of 

 these, 87 per cent, were herring, while 13 per cent, were 

 sprats ; 60 per cent, of the herring were from 2 to 2\ inches 

 in length, and completely scaled, while the remaining 40 per 

 cent, were from 1 to 2 inches in length, and either without 

 scales altogether, or only partly scaled. The sprats varied 

 from 1 to 2\ inches in length, and the smaller ones 



