Fishery Board for Scotland. 



xvii 



lowest temperature ; and (3) that when the surface temperature is Scientific 

 higher than the temperature lower down, the herring seek the deeper Investlgati0KS - 

 water, always apparently preferring a low to a high temperature. 



These conclusions, the Committee believed, were confirmed by 

 the observations made during the following years, and tables were 

 prepared showing the relations between fluctuations of tempera- 

 ture and the catch of herring. 



The Meteorological Society has not been able to furnish any 

 report of the observations made since the fishing season of 1878. 



From the above statement of the work done by or in connection officers of old 

 with the Board of Fisheries, it will be seen that no attempt was ^Sed ?ot 

 made, either by continuous investigations carried on by naturalists, making inves- 

 or by utilising the fishery cruisers or the large staff of fishery tigations. 

 officers, to make a thorough and exhaustive study of the migrations, 

 time of spawning, development, and rate of growth of the herring. 

 It should, however, be remembered that three important facts have 

 been established, viz., — (1) by Professor Allmanand Dr M'Bain, in 

 March 1862, that herring spawn was deposited on stones, shingle, important 

 and gravel, and that it adhered firmly in masses to these various f^ d estab ' 

 objects at the bottom until the fry escaped — this spawn was obtained lsie *~ 

 for Professor Allman by the Fishery cruiser ' Princess Royal,' partly l. Nature of 

 by means of divers, and partly by dredging on the east and west s P awn - 

 sides of the Isle of May, in from 14 to 21 fathoms water. 



(2) By the Eoyal Commission (of which Professor Huxley was a 2. Periods of 

 member), on the operation of the Acts relating to Trawling f or s P awnm s- 

 Herrings on the Coast of Scotland, which reported in 1863, ' that 



' there are two great spawning seasons every year, one in spring and 

 ' another in autumn,' the spring spawning reaching a climax in 

 February and March, and the autumn spawning reaching a climax 

 in August and September. 



(3) By Mr Henry Goodsir that the food of the herring consisted 3. Food of 

 chiefly of small Crustacea. Hemng. 



B. Short Summary of Work done by other Countries previous 



to 1882. 



Important observations were made on the structure of the herring No complete 

 during the time of Linnaeus, Cuvier, and Weber, but comparatively JJjJjS^af 

 little has been done since, and a good account of the anatomy of Herring, 

 the herring, more especially of the skeleton, does not yet exist. 



The investigations begun by Professor Allman in 1862 have been 

 greatly extended by the Commissioners appointed by the German Work of 

 Government in 1865, to investigate the biological and physical 'Scommis' 

 conditions of the West Baltic. Owing to the Franco-German war,sion. 

 little was done until 1871, but since then, by making systematic 

 and continuous observations, important results have been obtained, 

 some of which throw much light on the habits of the inshore or 

 spring herring of the Baltic. 



In 1874 the eggs of the inshore herring were found iu abundance 

 in the almost fresh water of the Schlei, at a depth of about 3 Eggs of 

 feet, attached to Potamogeton and other fresh water plants. Eggs Herring 

 were taken from herring caught in the Schlei, and artificially fertilised and 

 fertilised and hatched, batclied < 



P 



