80 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



were either without scales, or had only the keeled scales 

 developed. 



During July, 600 specimens were examined. Of these, 

 75 per cent, were herring, and 25 per cent, were sprats ; the 

 herring varied from 1 J to 2^ inches in length, but 80 per cent, 

 were under 2 inches ; 8 per cent, of the sprats were under 

 1\ inches in length, and were almost destitute of scales. 



The August whitebait examined — some 500 specimens — 

 contained 52 per cent, of herring from 2 to 3 inches in length, 

 and 48 per cent, of sprats from 1 to 1^ inches in length. 

 As August advanced, the percentage of small, almost scale- 

 less, sprats greatly increased, until the sprats formed 80 per 

 cent, of the samples examined. 



From these specimens examined, it is evident that the 

 nature of whitebait varies considerably. Sometimes it con- 

 sists almost entirely of sprats, while at other times it consists 

 chiefly of herring; and not only does it vary as to the num- 

 ber of sprats and herring, but also in the size of these fish. 

 In February and March the whitebait in the London market 

 was almost entirely made up of about half-grown sprats. In 

 April the whitebait was smaller, and the number of herring 

 had considerably increased. In May, June, and July the 

 whitebait was almost entirely composed of small fish, many 

 of them with only a few scales, and undoubtedly young 

 herring. In August the herring were larger and fewer in 

 number, while the sprats were considerably smaller. From the 

 fio-ures given it will be evident that the whitebait examined 

 during the six months of the inquiry consisted of about 60 

 per cent, of sprats, and about 40 per cent, herring ; the sprats 

 diminishing from 93 per cent, in February to 13 per cent. 

 in June, and rising again to 48 per cent, in August; the 

 herring rising from 7 per cent, in February to 87 per cent, in 

 June, and falling to 52 per cent, in August. It ought to be 

 mentioned that in all the samples examined, there were a 

 few small fish that belonged neither to the herring nor sprat 

 species ; these were, e.g., gobies, small pipe-fish, sand-eels 

 and cong&r eels, and, in addition to fish, there were often 

 shrimps and specimens of Beroe, and on one occasion a small 

 octopus. 



