308 



/'art III. — Twenty -fourth Annual Report 



(a) Larval and Post-Larval Stages. 



Considerable collections of larval and small post-larval clupeoids and 

 herrings were obtained by the " Garland " during the years she was 

 engaged in the Forth and adjoining waters, which have been tabulated in 

 the Board's Reports* by various workers. In Professor M'Intosh's 

 tablest referring to the pelagic fauna of St. Andrews Bay, various young 

 clupeoids are tabulated, and a large number also in the paper by Master- 

 man previously mentioned. 



It is important to determine the rate of growth of the herring in the early 

 stages, first of all, and I have therefore brought together in the table 

 subjoined most of the measurements contained in the lists referred to, 

 those given by Masterman in his paper and by M'Intosh in his tables, 

 as well as those in the later collections of the Fishery Board. M'Intosh 

 states that towards the end of March myriads of young clupeoids, 

 apparently herrings, throng the lower part of the water in St. Andrews 

 Bay. They had probably only escaped from the eggs, though the 

 absence of the yolk-sac in many, and the presence of well-marked 

 embryonic fin-rays, showed that they were some days old. He also 

 states that in this month numerous young sprats, from 1| to If inches 

 (34mm. to 45mm.), were captured in the mid-water net. 



A precis of the collections examined by Masterman shows the 

 following : — 



In January (19th, 20th) eleven herrings measured from 42mm. to 

 56mm., the average size being 48mm. to 49mm. (lyf inches). According 

 to Masterman's tables showing the increments of growth per month, these 

 are much too large to be the autumn herrings of the year before, which at 

 the period would measure, on his scale, only about 30 mm., or less ; and 

 they correspond rather to the spring herrings of the previous year, which 

 at nine months would be about 50mm., and this would take them back to 

 May j if referred to April, they ought to be about 54mm. They cannot 

 be sprats, for, apart from diagnosis at that stage, the sprats in March, as 

 stated above, measure only 34mm. to 45mm. The evidence obtained 

 by myself supports the view that they are the herrings of the previous 

 spring. 



In February (19th) nine herrings from 35mm. to 41mm. (If to If 

 inches), and with a mean size of 37"3mm. (1| inches), were caught. 



On 1st March eleven, from 33mm. to 39mm.; on 7th-21st, ten, from 

 26mm. to 44mm. ; and on 31st, one of 40mm., were taken, making 

 altogether for the month, 22, from 26mm. to 44mm., with a mean of 

 about 35mm. (1| inches). 



In April (2nd-18th) twelve measured from 32mm. to 49mm. (all but 

 the two smallest on 18th), the average being 42-3mm. inches). 



All these were quite distinct from the young herrings that appear 

 about this time, to be referred to below, and with these we have the 

 following larger forms, viz. — (1) 14th to 31st March, seven herrings, 

 from 79mm. to 103mm., with an average length of 95-6mm. (3| inches), 

 and on 29th April one at 110mm. (4| inches). 



In January-March we have thus three groups of these older clupeoids 

 — (1) Those in January, with an average of 48mm. to 49mm., belonging 

 to the previous spring; (2) in February, March, and April, a group 



*8th, p. 270 ; 9th, p. 334 ; 10th, p. 300, by Professor M'Intosh ; and the others in 

 the 11th, p. 250 ; 12th, pp. 298, 300 ; 13th, p. 258 ; 14th, p. 223 ; 15th, p. 246, by 

 Masterman, Tosh, Williamson, Wallace, and Kyle. 



■flbid., 7th, p. 267 ; 11th, p. 284. 



