116 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



BIOMETRIC INVESTIGATIONS ON THE HERRING. 

 By W. Birtwistle. 



Two samples of herrings, taken by drift-nets off the South- 

 west of the Isle of Man, one in the third week in June and the 

 other in the first week in September, were sent to the University 

 of Liverpool for detailed examination. It was not possible to 

 deal with the whole of each sample in the fresh condition, so 

 they were kept in cold storage, and examined when circum- 

 stances permitted. About 60 fish of each sample were examined 

 fresh. Each sample consisted of nominally 250 fish = \ cran, 

 and were quite unselected. 



The usual characters were examined and recorded, viz. : — 



1. Total length from extremity of snout to the vertical 

 line joining the tips of the lobes of the caudal fin in the natural 

 position. [T.] 



2. Total length to base of tail. [T.cd.] 



3. Length from tip of snout to beginning of dorsal fin. 

 [DJ 



4. Length from tip of snout to beginning of pelvic fin. 



[v.] 



5. Length from tip of snout to anus. [A.] 



6. Lateral length of head. [l.cp.L] 



7. Number of keeled scales between anus and pelvic 

 fins. [K 2 .] 



8. Sex recorded. 



