of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



89 



which means that the pelvic fin of the winter herring is, in the majority 

 of instances, more anteriorly placed than in the summer fish. 



The pelvic fin of the young herring of about 30 mm. long is situated in 

 front of the first dorsal ray, as in the sprat. By the time it has reached 

 the stage of those being now dealt with, i.e., from 170 to 240 mm. long, 

 the fin has quite reached the condition found in the adult, and probably 

 does so much younger, although my investigations do not enable me to 

 say exactly when that occurs, except that it has passed behind the first 

 ray by the time it is 60 mm. long. 



Position of Pectoral Fin. 



There seems to be little diflference in the position of the pectoral fin 

 on the summer and winter herrings, the winter having it if anything 

 slightly further back than the summer fish. That is, the fish which have 

 the pelvic fin furthest back have the pectoral furthest forward. The very 

 small difference shown in the table between the two, however, scarcely 

 warrants us in concluding this to be a general rule. The variation is from 

 •033 to "99 in the winter fish, and from '03 1 to '104 in the summer. 



TABLE (XVni.) showing Percentage of Herrings arranged according to 

 Position of Pectoral Fin relatively to Body Length. 



Ratio of Fin Position. 



•031 



to 



•044 



•045 



to 



•058 



•059 

 to 

 •072 



•073 



to 



•086 



•087 

 to 



•100 



Winter, .... 



5^9 



20^4 



37-7 



26^5 



9-5 



Summer, 



10-8 



32^7 



333 



19-4 



3^8 



Basal Length of Dorsal and Anal Fins. 



The variation in the dorsal fin length, relatively to the length of fish to 

 end of scales, extends from "104 to '156 on the winter herrings, and from 

 •106 to '158 among the summer fish. 



TABLE (XIX.) showing Percentage of Herrings arranged according to 

 Basal Length of Dorsal and Anal Fins relatively to Body Length 

 (to end of scales). 



Ratio of Fin Length. 



•083 

 to 



•098 



to 



.113 



to 



•128 



to 



•143 



to 



•097 



•112 



•127 



•142 



•158 

















Dorsal Fin | 



Winter, 





5^7 



57^6 



29^2 



7-5 



Summer, . 





2^9 



48^4 



43^7 



5-0 



Anal Fin | 



Winter, 



2-4 



49^0 



43^8 



4^8 





Summer, . 



10-7 



50-8 



34-3 



4-2 





