194 



Part III. — Twenty-first Annual Report 



The third series in November and August are obviously imperfect, 

 compcaratively few anglers having been obtained, or at least measured, 

 and the remark also applies to most of the series in the other months, 

 although as a rule three groups are manifestly represented. It would 

 have been of interest to compare the series got in the deep water 

 with those from the Moray Firth and Aberdeen Bay, but they are 

 imperfect. The indications, however, are that growth is slower, or at 

 leaGt that at a corresponding date the first series represented — fish about 

 and over one year of age — are somewhat smaller in the deep water off the 

 Shetlands where, as with the haddock and whiting, etc., spawning is 

 probably later. 



The measurements of anglers obtained by the " Garland " are not 

 represented with sufficient minuteness to be of much value in studying 

 the rate of growth, since they are grouped in inches. I give here, how- 

 ever, for comparison those for two years in the Forth and St. Andrews 

 Bay :- 



SIZE IN INCHES. 





5 



6 



7 



8 





10 



11 



12 



13 



14 



15 



16 



17 



18 



19 



20 



21 



22 



23 



25 





+ 



+ 



+ 



+ 



+ 



+ 



+ 



+ 



+ 



+ 



+ 



+ 



+ 



+ 



+ 



+ 



+ 



+ 



+ 



+ 



Jan. 











































Feb. . 



















2 

























Mar. . 















1 









1 









2 









1 





April . 

















1 



1 













1 



2 









4 



May 









1 







2 



1 



1 



1 



1 





















June 







1 



2 





1 



1 



3 





4 



2 







1 



1 











1 



July . 







1 



4 





1 



1 





5 



2 









1 















Aug-. . 









3 



3 



7 



6 



3 



1 



3 



3 



1 











2 



1 





3 



Sept. . 







2 



2 



12 



7 



9 



9 



7 





8 



2 





2 













4 



Oct. 









3 





10 



4 



5 



8 



4 



2 



2 



















Nov. . 











7 



1 



3 



6 



7 



1 











1 











3 



Dec. . 









2 



1 







6 



11 



4 



1 



2 





1 













4 



The observations therefore appear to warrant the following statement 

 as approximately representing the growth of the angler : — 



Length. 



Approximate Age. Smallest. Largest. Mean. 

 Six months, . . . *5 inches. 8|- inches. 6f inches. 



One year and 6 months, 9 ,, l^rl ^^i " 



tTw^o years and 6 months, „ 21-22 18-18|„ 



When three years old, supposing a little less than the same rate of 

 increase continues — and in fishes growth is not usually much reduced in 

 rapidity before the period of maturity is reached — the angler will measure 

 approximately twenty-one inches in length, and when four years old 

 about twenty-six or twenty-seven inches. The information as to the size 

 at which maturity is first attained is not extensive, but males may be 



* Smallest caught. 



f Derived from computing the second group in August or at the beginning of 

 Novemher. 



