of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



125 



occurring in the Forfcli, but we cannot vouch for the accuracy of this 

 statement, as we had not an opportunity of examining the material. In 

 the area extending from Aberdeen to Wick so small a percentage of 

 stomachs contained food during the summer that an unusually large number 

 had to be examined in order to obtain any reliable data. Of these, only 

 the stomachs which contained food appear in the statistics now given. 



On the West Coast, the bulk of the herring take most food during the 

 summer months, so that copepods come to form the most important food 

 on that coast. 



During the months of May and June the food in the Stornoway district 

 consists of copepods mixed with about an equal quantity of schizopods, 

 many of which are young forms. 



The stomachs examined from the Loch Broom district were all obtained 

 during the colder months, and, as might be expected, no copepods were 

 found in them. 



A glance at the statistics given for Loch Fyne will show what an 

 important part is played by the copepods in that district. In April, 

 May, and June, the food consists almost solely of copepods. During 

 this time almost every herring is perfectly gorged with copepods, and the 

 richness of this food has undoubtedly a great effect on the quality of the 

 fish. During the months of July and August many stomachs are empty, 

 but the food still consists of copepods, the supply of which has, however, 

 greatly diminished. The herring still continue to feed on copepods as 

 they leave Loch Fyne, and a few stomachs may be found which contain 

 these forms up to November. From the month of September onwards, 

 the schizopods partly replace the copepods in the herrings' stomachs. 

 Combining the statistics for the Girvan district with those for Loch Fyne, 

 it seems probable that the supply of copepods practically ceases in 

 November and that these forms are not met with again until April. 



An attempt has been made to identify the various species of copepods 

 met with in the herrings' stomachs from all parts of the coast, but owing 

 to the minuteness of the forms this task is rendered almost impossible 

 when the food is partly digested. During the past season a considerable 

 amount of attention has been paid to the copepods of Loch Fyne, and 

 twenty-eight species have already been obtained (see Appendix, p. 147). Of 

 these only seven have as yet been met with in the stomachs of the herring ; 

 they are as follows : — 



Calanus finmarchicus appears in immense quantities when the herring 

 enter Loch Fyne in April, and constitutes the bulk of their food until the 

 end of June. The supply oi this and other common species then dimin- 

 ishes rapidly, but a few may be obtained throughout the year. 



This species appears to be common all around our coasts, and is certain- 

 ly the most frequent form in the herrings' stomachs both on the West and 

 on the East Coasts. 



Temora longicornis. — This is a common form but not nearly so abundant 

 as the preceding. It is, however, generally distributed, and we have 

 obtained it from many localities. According to G. O. Sars, Calanus and 

 Temora exist in myriads off the Loffoden Islands, and there also form 

 almost the sole food of the herring during the spring and summer. 



Pseudocalanus. — We have met with this species frequently, more par- 

 ticularly from the Stornoway and Loch Fyne districts. 



Centrojpages typicus. — Frequent in Loch Fyne during the summer, and 

 forms a part of the food of the herring in the Clyde Estuary, in the Storno- 

 way district, and also on the East Coast. 



Centropages hamatus. — Frequent in Loch Fyne. Has been found in 

 herrings' stomachs from Loch Fyne and the Stornoway district. 



