320 



Part III. — Twenty-fourth Annual Report 



Date. 



Depth. 



TTptti n o*q 



i 



Fms. 







21st February 1S90 . 



24-27 



1 at 4 (100). 



17th „ „ 



6^-9 



12, 3^-5 (90-127). 



20th 



11-14 



3, 4.1-5 (115-127); 2, 3 (76). 



6th 1892 . 



5 



240, lf-3| (45-69). 



19th March 1890 



20-27 



21, 4-5| (102-140). 



19th 



18-28 



2, 4|-5| (115-140). 



21st ., 



9^-14 



29, 4-5 (102-127); 2, 3£ (89). 



21st 



~H 



1, 4 (102). 



22nd ., ,, 



5-6 



5, 4i-5| (115-140); 158, 2i-3£ (63-89). 



22nd „ 



4-6 



11, 4^-5£ (115-133); 169, 2\-Sh (63-89). 



22nd „ „ 



3-4 



16, 4-4£ (102-115) ; 14, 3-3i (76-89). 



20th April 1892 . 



7-8 



316, lf-3| (45-82). 



26th ,. 1890. 



4 



767, 2-3 h (50-90) ; 1, 5^ (140). 



28th „ 



18-20 



6, 4-5 (102-127). 



29th „ 



1 ™ , 



17 



1, 5i (140) ; 8, 5 (127) ; 15, 2f-4 

 (70-102). 



29th 



6-15 



37, 6 (150) ; 219, 3£-4 (90-102i ; 786. 

 lf-3 (45-76). 



29th 



8-10 



6, 3-31 (76-89). 



9th May 1889 . 



4 



1, 7 (177) ; 124, 4-5 (102-127) ; 7. 3 

 (76); 24, 2i (63); 30, 2 (50). 





10th „ . 



6 



1, 3 (76), 



11th ,, . 



11-12 



1, 7 (177) ; 1, 6£ (165) ; 3, 4£ (108). 



14th „ „ . 



15 



1, 4£ (115). 



loth „ „ . 



5 



3, 2h (63). 



7th ,, 1890 . 



9 



6, 4i (115). 



8th . 



5-9 



2, 4 (102). 



9th ,, . 



20 



1, 5 (127). 

 3, 3f (95). 



5th August 1891 



6 



3rd September 18S9. 



5 



118, 2i-3^ (63-89). 



4th ,, . 



15 



1, 3 (76). 



4th ,, „ . 



29 



2, 3 (76). 



5th „ „ . 



5 



14, 2-2i (50-63). 



-4.1 



otn ,, ,, . 



6 



o.">ri 4 rtl Ol /£!0 o n \ 



2294, ^2~^2 (bo-89). 



12th „ „ . 



26 



1, 3 (76). 



13th ,, ,, . 



22 



1, 3 (76) ; 1, 2 (50). 



5th October 1889 . 



5 



8, 3 (76). 



10th 



5 



2, 4i (115) ; 4, 3i (89) ; 9, 3 (76). 



10th „ 



12 



22, 4-4^ (102-115). 



16th ,, 



12 



2, 3£ (89). 



9th December 1892 . 



13-15 



6, 3i-4 (89-102). 



10th ,, „ . 



11-14 



3, U-5 (115-127). 



At least three annual series of herrings are represented in these Forth 

 collections. From what has been said above as to the slow growth of 

 the post-larval herring, it is clear that none of them belong to the year 

 in which they were caught, but that the smallest of them are in their 

 second year. 



The measurements in fractions of an inch, and the slumping of lots 

 together, are less accurate than the separate measurements in milli- 

 metres, and two separate series may be mixed up together, but it 

 appears, on the whole, probable that the smaller herrings in spring 

 represent the spring herrings and not the autumn fish. In February, 

 March, and April their sizes range from about 45mm. to about 89mm. 

 or 90mm. ; the smaller sizes would suit well enough the supposition 

 that they were autumn herrings, but the larger are much too large for 

 that class at that time of year, and if they are all regarded as belonging 

 to one group, the group must be looked upon as spring fish nearing one 

 year of age, though the larger sizes are too large for this interpretation. 

 This must be said, on the balance of evidence, even regarding the large 



