of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



327 



Saith. — On the 12th of August, Mr Scott examined eighty-four stomachs 

 of young saith collected in the bay in front of the Tarbert Laboratory. The 

 fish ranged from 2J to i\ inches in length. 



The stomachs were all quite full, and the food consisted almost entirely 

 of Copepods. In addition to the Copepods, a few of the stomachs con- 

 tained a number of Sagittte and young Gasteropods {Rissoa and Lacuna). 

 The Copepods belong mostly to two species, viz., Centropages typicus 

 and Centropages hamatus, but a few Dias longiremis were also recognised. 



On the 18th of August, twenty-four stomachs of young saith were ex- 

 amined. The fish were obtained in the north bay at Barmore, and varied 

 from 2| to 5 inches in length. The food of the smaller specimens differed 

 little from that of the larger ones. About half the quantity consisted of 

 Copepods, mostly Calanidce, but a few specimens of Thalestris were also 

 observed. 



Next in importance came the Amphipods, Isopods, and Schizopods, 

 which occurred in about equal proportions. The Amphipods were almost 

 all Gamarides, but the species were not identified. The Isopoda were 

 represented by a large number of young Idotea, and the Schizopods by the 

 young of a species of Mysis, probably M. inermis. The Crustacea, already 

 referred to, supplied almost the entire variety of food. In addition, a 

 small proportion consisted of larval Decapods, Sagittce, and a number of 

 very young Gasteropods {Rissoa and Lacuna). 



A single specimen of Vaunthornsonia cristata, one of the Cumacea 

 frequent in the district, was also observed. 



It is interesting to note in connection with these statistics of the food 

 of young Gadidae, that the cod, which in the adult state is a bottom feeder, 

 still retains at this age (2 to 3 inches in length) its early habit of feeding 

 solely on pelagic forms, and also to note the absence of young molluscs. 

 The saith, on the other hand, is always more pelagic in its habit than the 

 cod ; but in the case of the young here referred to, there appears to be 

 a considerable difference in its food, as compared with the young cod, 

 although the two were taken together on the same ground. The Copepods 

 contained in the stomachs of those taken at Tarbert included a large 

 number of specimens of the less pelagic species, whereas these forms were 

 almost absent in the stomachs of the young cod taken in the same locality. 

 The presence of a number of young Gasteropods in the stomachs of the 

 young saith appears to be a constant feature, and probably indicates the 

 first step towards a change of diet approaching that of the adult. 



