234 



Part III. — Fifteenth Annual Report 



Table VI.— Eegs of Sprat— continued. 



July 



June 22, 1891. 

 28, 1893. 

 „ 28, „ 

 30, „ 

 8, 1891. 



8, „ 

 9, 



9, „ 

 9, 



10, 



17, „ 



17, ,, 



18, ,, 



21, „ 



22, „ 

 28, „ 

 31, ,, 

 31, „ 

 31, „ 



4, 1891. 

 6, 



14, ,, 



19, „ 



Ausr. 



Station I., . 



„ II., . . . . 

 ,, II., . 



„ V., . . . . 

 Largo Bay, .... 

 Kirkcaldy Bay, 

 Station V., . 

 Fidra to Cockenzic, 



>> ,, • • • 



Gullane NesstoKhighorn Ness 



Station IV., . 

 ,, V., . 



1 1 in., . . . 

 „ ix., .... 

 „ v., . 



E. of Inchkeith, . 

 W. of May Island, 



E. ofMay Island, 



Elie to Crail, 



Station VII. , 



» !•> • • • • 

 ,, IX., . . . . 



2875. 



54 (advanced). 



200 (sprat, poor-cod, and whiting). 



3 (advanced,. 



181. 



125 (very advanced). 

 97. 



45 (surface). 

 200 (bottom). 



386 (very advanced to hatching, 



bottom). 

 750 (advanced). 

 90 to 100. 

 445. 



209 (advanced). 

 Eggs of. 



613 (very advanced). 

 30 (advanced). 

 63 „ 



35 (very advanced). 

 141 



35 (advanced). 

 68. „ 



5 (fairly advanced). 



Sprat. 



The presence of the eggs of the sprat in great numbers is quite a 

 feature of the Firth of Forth. The extreme limits during which the eggs 

 occurred were March 23rd (1891) to August 19th (1891), a period, compris- 

 ing very nearly five months. Dr Fulton, in his table (10th Scottish 

 Fishery Board Report), does not include the sprat, but from the data here 

 given, the average spawning-period might be put down as from April to 

 mid-August, inclusive. All through April, May, June, and July, an 

 abundance of eggs occur dotted about the Firth, in all stages, but there is 

 a very pronounced order in the way in which they occur. Firstly, we note 

 that the eggs appear first in the middle stations (Station VI. and Cross- 

 section II.), all the data from March 23rd up to April 8th being from 

 this district, and the numbers being described as 'swarms of and 'con- 

 siderable numbers of.' Then follow 'a few' found in three parts of 

 the inner stations, and a single occurrence of four (advanced) eggs in 

 Station IX., as late as April 14th. Still they are confined to the middle 

 and inner stations, with abundance of early eggs in Stations II. and III., 

 to the end of the month, except for two items under Station IX., and one 

 under Cross-section I. The same distribution is seen in May. In the 

 third week, thousands of eggs occur in each haul (3220, 1134, 3800, 2667) 

 in Stations L, II., and III., whilst the middle stations are also repre- 

 sented by 'many,' 'abundance,' 1400, 697, etc. Only four hauls during 

 this month in the outer stations gave sprat's eggs. In June, the numbers 

 were small in 1893, which alone represents the early part, but in the 

 middle of the month there are found to be considerable numbers around 

 the May Island district, and also the same abundance as in May in 

 Stations I. and II., running into thousands per haul (2900, 1100, 3778, 

 2875). 



Besides the three observations round May Island, which are scarcely 

 out of the middle district, there is only one record during June, in the 

 outer stations, and that in Station IX., 16 eggs in all, partly 'whiting.' 

 Two more in July, and one in August, complete the whole series in outer 

 stations; whereas, throughout June and July, nearly all the inner and 



