300 



Part III. — Twenty-fourth Annual Report 



Mature herrings, both male and female, are indeed occasionally taken 

 which have a length of about 8 inches (20cm.), or even slightly under 

 that size. T. have found a few of this size at Ballantrae Bank in March 

 with fully developed reproductive organs, but they were exceedingly 

 exceptional. They were not quite so rare between 8 and 9 inches (203cm 

 to 22 # 8cm.),but the great majority of these small herrings were immature. 



Matthews (19, p. 96) records ripe herring from Lochfyne in February, 

 between 19cm. and 20cm. (7| to 8 inches), and he mentions one that he 

 examined (place and date not stated), which measured only 7| inches 

 (18*4cm.) ; it was the smallest among about 3000 voung herrings he 

 examined over a period of two years. 



Among several thousands examined by myself, the smallest fully 

 ripe herring measured 21'lcm. (8| inches). There were two of this size 

 among 2178 landed in February and March, 1904, at Anstruther, in 

 the Firth of Forth. They were thus spring herrings, and formed part of 

 the spawning shoals which habitually visit the mouth of the Firth in 

 spring to spawn. They were all mature fish, the spawn and milt flowing 

 from them in February (16th), when none among the 1023 measured 

 were spent ; but on this occasion the smallest were : — Males, one at 



21 - 8cm., three at 22"3cm., two at 25cm., two at 26cm., and altogether 

 from 22*5cm. to 22'9cm. — 21 males; females, one at 22 - 5cm., one at 



22- 6cm., three at 227cm., and altogether between 22-5cm. and 22 9cm. 

 (8| to 9 inches) — there were 15 females. 



In March, when 1155 were measured, 40 of the females and 43 of the 

 males were spent; the smallest of these was a female measuring 21.5cm. 

 (8| inches), the next spent female being 22'8cm. ; the smallest male was 

 23cm. Among the fish still spawning, the number of each sex at the 

 smallest measurements were these: — 



211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 



Male 1 - 1 1 1 3 3 3 3 3 8 10 9 11 



Female ... 1---121-255787 



Moreover, among many hundreds of autumn spawners from various 

 parts of the east coast, examined in July and August, the smallest ripe 

 female in the latter month was 9 inches, or 23cm., the weight of the fish 

 being 92 - 3 grammes, and the ovaries 13*1 grammes. It was quite an 

 exception. The smallest male that was mature measured also 9 inches, 

 the testes weighing 12 5 grammes. 



Other particulais regarding these small herrings may be summarised. 

 A male at 9 inches (23cm.), and weighing 1 10*3 grammes, was approaching 

 ripeness, the testes weighing 9*2 grammes. One at 9 T ^- inches (23 6cm.) 

 was fully mature, as were other two at 23'5cm. and 23*8cm. One male 

 at 8| inches (21"5cm.), weighing 90 grammes, had testes which weighed 

 9*5 grammes, and was judged to be about half ripe. 



Among small female herrings, some measuring 23'9cm. (102 grammes), 

 25cm. (106 grammes), 24-lcm. (128'4 grammes), 24cm. (105 grammes), 

 and with roes weighing from 16 to 22*6 and 25 grammes, were 

 judged to be approaching maturity. On the other hand, some females 

 from 8| to 10 inches (21cm. to 25*5cm.) were immature, their weights 

 ranging from 93 to 133*7 grammes, and the weight of the ovaries from 

 2*3 grammes (in the one at 10 inches) to 1*6 and 6*4 grammes. 



Besides these, there were many whose sex could not be distinguished 

 by the naked eye. They ranged from 7| to 10| inches (19*5cm. to 26cm.) 

 and from 55*5 grammes upwards, with reproductive organs from under 

 1 gramme in weight to 2" 7 grammes. 



