322 



Part III. — Twenty-fourth Annual Report 





Spring. 



Autumn. 





M. 







F. B. 



M. 



F. B. 







Mm. 



Mm. 



Mm. 



Mm. 



February, . 











March, 



5-11 



7-11 







April, . 



5-16 



6-17 







May, . 



5-25 



7*5-24 







June, . 



13-20 



15-26 







July, . 



16-37 



lb- 







August, 



[1 1-zOJ 







0-14 



September, . 



36-44 



21-44 



4-18 



6-18 



October, 



32-41 



32 



6-23 



8-25 



November, . 







14-26 



12-29 



December, . 



'[37] 



39-50 



15-[37] 



14-34, 36 



January, 



42-56 







27 



February. . 



41 



45 69 



35-37 



31, 32 



March, 



44 



(63)-(89) 



26-40 





April, . 





(45)-(82) 



32-49 



41-46 



May, . 





71 





50-63 



In the Fourth Annual Report of the Fishery Board for Scotland Mr. Duncan 

 Matthews described the young herrings found in various samples of whitebait from the 

 Thames. His results may be thus summarised, the words in brackets indicating my 

 interpretation of the derivation of the herrings, which thus differs from that of Cunning- 

 ham, who dealt with the same observations of Matthews (18, p. 162). 





Number 





Month. 



Herrings 

 Examined. 



Remarks. 



February , 



98 



Some under 2 inches (50mm.) and only partially scaled 





(probably spring-herrings of previous year). 



March, 



60 



Some reached nearly 4 inches (102mm.) (autumn 

 herrings in third year). 



April, 



112 



14 under 1£ inches (38mm. ) (autumn herrings of 

 previous year). 



May, 



180 



72 were 2 inches (50mm.) fully scaled (autumn 

 herring) and 108 from 1^-1 $ inches (38mm.-44mm. ) 

 and only partly scaled (autumn herrings). 





June, 



696 



417 fully scaled, 2-2J inches (50mm. -57mm.) (autumn), 

 279, from 1 to l| inches (25mm. -38mm.) partially 

 scaled, or entirely scaleless (spring herrings of year, 

 but possibly two series). 



July, 



450 



1^-2^ inches (38mm.-63mm.), of these, 360 under 2 





inches (50mm.) (probably two series— spring and 

 autumn). 



August, . 



260 



2-3 inches (50mm. -76mm.) (autumn). 



The usual difficulties involved in measurements in fractions of an inch, and slumping, 

 is encountered here, though in most cases the derivation of the series seems clear. To 

 suppose that herrings of 63 or 55mm. in July, were derived from the spawning in the 

 previous spring would be contrary to the facts referring to the Scottish collections. The 

 spawning-seasons may differ to some extent off the mouth of the Thames. 



The observations of Hoek on the small herring in the Zuiderzee (14), previously 

 referred to, would be valuable for comparison, but it is clear that different series have 

 been included together in some of the groups. A summary of his measurements, in 

 millimetres, is as follows: — February, 73-100, most between 88 and 95: March, 49-75, 

 70-78, 83-114, 77-100, most between 85-95, 67-106: April, 67-102, "most part about 

 80" ; a few days later, "most of them 75," a few about 90: May, many about 90, four 

 55: June (29th). a few 37: July, 37-42, 57-60, 75, 80, 98: August, 56-81, 60-68, and on 

 31st, 40-50, 60-70: September, 58-75, 76-83, 65-95 : October, 81-90, 65-80 : November, 

 one 75, manv 85-90, 100-112-5 ; December, many 80-100. 



