of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



23 



abdominal fat at this season, since the food material will be required for 

 forming the roe and milt. The rate of growth is discussed at pp. 57 to 

 64. The analysis of the herrings from the standpoint of the amount of 

 abdominal fat is given in the following table : — 



Abdominal Fat. 



Length 



cm. 

 14 

 15 

 16 

 17 

 18 

 19 

 20 

 21 

 22 

 23 

 24 

 25 

 26 

 27 



Immature. 



Large 

 Quantity. 



Some. 



3 

 5 

 8 

 28 

 64 

 60 

 15 

 4 



Practi- 

 cally 

 None. 



1 



2 

 4 

 2 

 3 

 5 

 14 

 20 

 12 

 1 



S. Spr. 



Large 

 Quantity, 



12 



2 



Some. 



6 

 21 

 23 

 11 



4 



None. 



1 

 5 

 15 

 20 

 16 

 4 

 1 



W. Spt. 



Some. 



2 

 10 

 18 

 20 

 14 

 3 

 2 



Practi- 

 cally 



The Winter Spents show various stages of recovery after spawning. 

 Some ovaries and testes are flabby, skin-like ; others are shrinking and 

 filling ; some have shrunk to a small size. Tn a sample of herrings different 

 states of the reproductive organs may be found, showing that the herrings 

 represented there had spawned at different times. Old unspawned ripe 

 eggs were observed in several ovaries. They were to be detected even in 

 shrunken ovaries. Some of the ovaries are becoming plump, although soft. 



On cutting a transverse section of a spent ovary a wide lumen is usually 

 found in the oviduct. In one female 27 cm. long the new crop of eggs (of 

 which the largest measured *17 mm. diameter) was being formed. The ovary 

 was not, however, filled up ; there was room between the eg£-s. 



Traces of fat folds appear in the abdomen in some of the spents. 



Winter Spawners. — The winter spawners were full, in some cases partly 

 spawned. 



|Tabl£ 



