of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 223 



(9-1 6§ inches), the average being 32cm., or 12g inches. The largest 

 member of the group in this case might be one at 38"6cm. (15| inches), 

 as in the November collections, but in that of 12th December the division 

 is not so placed. In the latter, 16 measured from 3T9cm. to 42'2cm. 

 (124-16| inches). 



In the Dornoch Firth, on 19th December, 41 measured from 25cm. to 

 41 -6cm. (9J-16| inches), the mean being about 31cm., or 12| inches. 

 At Smith Bank, on the 27th December, 33 ranged from 25cm. to 37*5cm. 

 (9J-14| inches), the next fish measuring 45 6cm. ; the average size was 

 about 30cm., or II f inches. On 6th December, at Burghead Bay, 32 

 measured from 21*4cm. to 33"2cm. (Sy^-lSy 1 -^ inches), the mean being 

 about 27cm., or 10| inches. In this collection, as the other tables of 

 measurements show, the larger fishes of the series were not present in due 

 numbers, and the two smaller fishes, 21 '4cm. and 21*8cm., may belong to 

 the younger series, which is not otherwise represented. 



A large collection of this series was obtained in Burghead Bay between 

 the 20th and 25th December. They numbered 179, ranging from 

 22*9cm. to 398cm. (9-15| inches), the average size being about 30-5cm,, 

 or 12 inches. A small collection on the 29th of the same month in 

 another year, comprised 8 specimens of this series, their sizes ranging 

 from 26cm. to 39'8cm. (10£-15§ inches) (fig. 5, pi. XII.). 



In January, in Aberdeen Bay, 15 of this series measured from 26cm. 

 to 40cm. (10J-15| inches), the mean being 31cm. to 32cm., or 12| 

 inches. In the Cromarty Firth, on the 7th, 22 were from 25 -8cm. to 

 393cm. (10^-151 inches), the mean being about 32cm., or 12| inches. 

 A large collection was obtained off Dunbeath, on the Caithness coast, on 

 17th January, and the 280 cod comprised in the series measured from 

 23*lcm. to 40 - 7cm. (9^-16 inches), the average being about 31 '5cm., or 

 12| inches. These fish were obtained in the ordinary trawl-net, but at 

 this size the fact will not affect the average to any material extent. 



No cod of this series were in the collections in February and 

 March. On 1st April, 22, caught at Smith Bank, in the Moray Firth, 

 ranged in length from 23 - lcm. to 38'8cni. (9J-15J inches), Lut the higher 

 limit of the series is less than it ought to be from the absence of the 

 larger fishes ; the next longest to the one at 38cm. was one about 46cm. 

 In May (when they were over two years old) five taken in Aberdeen Bay 

 measured from 27cm. to 34cm. (10§-13| inches), and three in the Firth of 

 Forth were from 25cm. to 27cm. (9§-10|- inches). The numbers are 

 too small, of course, on which to base a conclusion. In a large collection 

 made up of the cod taken in several hauls of the ordinary trawl-net in 

 deep water off the Shetlands (65 fathoms) between 19th and 22nd May, 

 268 belonged to this group, and ranged in size from 25*2cm. to 41'2cm. 

 (91^-1 6| inches), by far the greater proportion measuring 31cm. to 

 34cm. (12|-13| inches), and the mean being approximately 32 - 5cm., or 

 12 j inches, the arithmetic average being a little higher, viz., 32'7cm. 

 (fig. 5, pi. XII.). 



Looking to these averages and the averages in January and December, 

 it appears that the cod on the east coast of Scotland when two years'of 

 age measures, on the average, a little over 12 inches in length, probably 

 12|-12J (31cm. to 32cm.); the range of sizes may be placed at from 

 about 9 to over 16 inches. 



In the third year of life, after it has attained the size mentioned, 

 growth is again rapid in the summer. I have referred to the size in May, 

 when the fish are about thirteen months old. 



At Sinclair Bay, on the coast of Caithness, on 4th June, 20 specimens 

 measured from 26'6cm. to 363crn. (16-22| inches) when they were about 

 2 years and 2 months old. 



