of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



211 



" Michael Sars " between Finmarken and Bear Island, the following 

 groups appeared to exist, though he states that the material at disposal 

 was not abundant or sufficient to make the distinction between the groups 

 very clear: — (1) One year old, 10cm. to 30cm. (4-1 1 ^ inches); (2) 

 30cm. to 60cm. (H|-23| inches); (3) 60cm. to 90cm. (23^35| 

 inches). Detailed measurements are not given.* 



In connection with the Danish investigations at Iceland, Schmidt, in an 

 important paper,t deals with the rate of growth of the cod, of which very 

 large numbers were measured. His results at Iceland differ from those 

 of other workers in other regions in certain respects. With the exception 

 of the youngest group, the cod were taken on the east coast of the island, 

 between Seydisfjord arid Heradsfloi, with eel-seines, English trawls, and 

 long-lines, in depths from 0-350 fathoms. The period was between 19th 

 and 29th July, 1904. The youngest group, from 3cm. to 7cm., are not 

 found in July on the east coast, and those of this series included in his 

 tables and calculations as to age, were taken on 23rd August at Reyk- 

 iarfjord, on the north coast, with an eel-seine in a few fathoms. These 

 groups are as follows : — 



Group. 



Probable 



Range of Sizes. 



Approximate 



Approximate 



Age. 







Averag 



<~e Size. 



Annual Growth. 







Cm. 



Inches. 



Cm. 



Inches. 



Cm. 



Inches. 



1 





3-8 



n-H 



5 



2 







2 



H years, 



9-17 



3£-6| 



11 or 12 



±h 



6-5 





3 



n „ 



18-30 



7i-Hf 



22 



ft 



10-0 



3tf 



4 



H „' ' 



30-45 



llf-17f 



33 or 34 





11-5 



H 



5 



H „ 



45-81 



17|-32 



61 



24 



27-5 



ioi 



6 



H „ 



81-105 



32-4U 



88 



34f 



27-0 



10f 



It will thus be seen that the growth of the cod at Iceland, according to 

 these results, is abnormally slow in the early stages. That a small cod 

 should grow only 2k inches in a year, and reach an average length of 

 only 4| inches in the middle of its second summer, is remarkable, while 

 the increase to the third summer is only 4| inches. These Iceland cod, 

 when approximately 3^ years of age, correspond to the cod in Scotland 

 which are scarcely more than two years old. In the next year, to the 

 middle of the fourth summer, the increase is very much greater — viz., 

 about lOf inches; and the increase to the following summer, when they 

 are supposed to be about 5| years old, is also over 10 inches. The 

 difference between these groups is brought out more strongly when the 

 mean weight is considered, as well as the length of the fish. These are 

 as follows, according to the Tables I published in the Report for 1903+ : — 



* Bericht uber die Thiitigkeit der Kommission A. August, 1902 — Februar, 1904 : 

 p. 51. 



t Fiskeriundersogelser ved Island og Fasroerne i Sommeren, 1903, pp. 62 et seq. 



%Ticenty -second Annual Report, Part III. "The Relation of Length to Weight," 

 pp. 142, 229. I may take this opportunity of pointing out that Dr. Kyle, in his excellent 

 paper on small plaice, " First Report on the Statistical Material received by the Bureau 

 regarding the Quantities of Small Plaice landed in the Various Countries" (Conseil 

 Permanent International pour L'Exploration de la Mer, Map2Jorts et Proves- Verlaux, etc., 

 Vol. IV. ; Juillet 1904-Juillet 1905 (1905, p. 50), has, by an oversight, referred to re- 

 determinations as showing the fish at every 5 centinietrss oi bngth, instead of even 0*5 

 centimetre. 



