254 



Part III. — Eighteenth Annual Report 



all were large and of fine quality, with little admixture of herrings of 

 the smaller sizes. In other cases there was a considerable mixture of 

 the smaller herrings. In other instances all the herrings were small. 

 Hauls made by different boats working near one another not unfrequently 

 showed this diversity. Sometimes the larger and better herrings were 

 caught in drift nets, while seine boats working in the neighbourhood 

 got very inferior fish. As has been stated, the largest and smallest 

 herrings found in the hauls were measured, and an estimate was made 

 of the preponderating or average size of the herrings in the catch. The 

 smallest herrings found among the drift-net fish examined were seven 

 inches in length, and the smallest found among the seine-net fish 

 examined were five and a half inches. It was, however, not uncommon 

 to find herrings ranging from six to eight inches among the seine-net 

 catches. The details of some of the hauls are as follows : — 



x> eti. 







JNo, oi .boxes 

 of Her lings 

 oaugntr. 



Smallest. 



.Largest . 



Average. 



Seine 



21 



Bi 



? 



lOf 



H 



n 



38 



H 



Il| 



9 





100 



6j 



I0J 



H 





20 



6j 



10J 



9 





30 



n 



11 



H 





16 



H 





H 







131 



8 





121 



n 



» 



94 



81 



iH 



10 



ti 



246 



8 



131 



H 



j> 



20 



61 



10 



9 



ii 



9 



7 





91 







5 



8J 



12| 



10 



11 



5 



H 



9 



7-8 





6 



9 





13 



101 



Drift 



20 



8 





13 



H 



11 



18 





L 

 E 



11 



H 



11 



10 



8, 



! 



12 j 



10 



11 



6 



8^ 





11* 



H 



11 



3 



8; 









11 



7 



7, 



; 



12 



9-10 



It is, however, stated that the seine net frequently takes large 

 quantities of smaller herrings than those indicated, and that these are 

 thrown back into the sea ; and also that large bodies of small unmarket- 

 able herrings may be enclosed by the seine, and although not removed 

 from the net may be suffocated and destroyed in large numbers before 

 they are allowed to escape. Such cases did not come under personal 

 observation, but there is no doubt that large bodies of small, immature, 

 and unmarketable herrings are occasionally enclosed by the seine and 

 hauled to the boat. The seiners say that in such instances, when the 

 nature of the catch is ascertained, the net is loosed and the herrings 

 allowed to escape, and that they escape alive, and can be seen to do so. 

 The drifters assert that in many cases the herrings are suffocated and 

 destroyed and sink to the bottom dead. It is quite likely that this 

 happens to some extent when a large body is encircled and a consider- 



