204 



Part III. — Fifteenth Annual Report 



bet ween the largest in the swarms of young hshes undoubtedly pertaiu- 

 ing to this season, on the 11th July, that it is reasonable to conclude 

 that they are the fishes of the season. Very considerable variation in size 

 of the several groups of whiting is permitted by the extension of the 

 spawning-period over a considerable interval. Moreover, no evidence has 

 hitherto been available of the occurrence of very small whitings in 

 numbers during the first months of the year, — which specimens might 

 justly be relegated to the previous season's spawning. The hiatus in this 

 respect is pronounced. 



The variability in size is as characteristic of August as of July, for, in the 

 deep water south-east of the Isle of May, some small specimens, only 7 - 5 

 mm. in length, were obtained as late as the 31st August ; while on the 9th, 

 multitudes of whiting, from 22 to 68 mm., occurred. Others, caught in 

 fewer numbers — for so active a fish readily avoids the conspicuous mid- 

 water-net — range from 87 to 112 mm., or about 3 \ to 4 J inches. 



The black spot at the base of the pectoral fin superiorly is not present 

 in those at 50 mm., but appears in those between 60 and 70 mm. The 

 scales now cover the skin with a dense coating. 



In September, multitudes of whitings, from 65 to 97 mm., or about 2f 

 to 3 J inches, appear in the inshore waters ; the larger, and, in some cases, 

 older examples, pushing ahead of their neighbours into the estuaries of 

 rivers, such as the Eden and the Forth, where they are captured by 

 various nets, and occasionally in enormous numbers. Thus, in the case 

 related by Dr Fulton,* more than 3606 were taken in the Forth in one 

 haul of a small trawl with a beam of 18 feet. None were obtained 

 20 miles seaward of the Island of May at this time. In the Eden such 

 forms range from 125 to 135 mm., or about 5 to 5 h inches. The growth, 

 therefore, seems to be remarkably rapid during the latter part of July, 

 in August, and in the following month or two. Smaller specimens, 

 however, are occasionally caught in the tow-nets, especially offshore, as 

 usual with most fishes. Thus, whiting of an inch or a little more (25 

 to 27 mm.) occur so late as the 22nd of September. In October, again, 

 one of only 45 mm. was obtained inshore (St Andrews Bay). The authors 

 of the * Scandinavian Fishes ' state that they make their way to the 

 inshore water only in October, and when 10 to 12 cm. (4 to 4f inches) 

 long. They keep such haunts, indeed, till spring, when they return to 

 deep water. 



In November the smaller specimens are from 3J to 5| inches, some 

 exceeding the latter ; while in December, the small examples are from 5 

 to 6 inches, such forms in both months being sometimes procured from the 

 liners, — that is to say, they readily take a hook ; indeed, in certain cases, 

 the small whitings are almost as troublesome as the star-fishes. 



Mr Cunningham, t reporting on Mr Holt's specimens of small fishes, 

 observes that those measuring 4 to 7 J inches in January may be divided 

 into two groups, viz., those from 4 to 5f inches, which had evidently 

 been hatched the preceding April ; and secondly, those from 6 to 7 J 

 inches, — about which he is somewhat doubtful, though he enters them at 

 eleven months. When, however, he comes to a fish 8^ inches on February 

 20th, he thinks the limit has been reached, and he estimates it at two 

 years old. But, according to what is shown above, if a whiting can 

 reach 6J inches or a little more on November 25th, especially in northern 

 waters, it is by no means impossible for it to attain 8J inches the 

 following February. The whiting is a remarkably predaceous fish, and 

 the rapidity of growth towards the end of autumn favours the view here 



* Eighth Annual Report of the Fishery Board, p. 175. 

 t Jour. Mar. Biol. Assoc., 1891-92, p. 358. 



