610 
BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
live longer than those of rapid growth? In Massachusetts, Belding (1910) found 
this to be the case. If this is true also in North Carolina, the results found in western 
Bogue Sound are not indicative of what would occur in the more valuable areas which 
produce large scallops in one year. They do indicate, however, that failure to market 
the full annual crop in these areas is not all loss by any means. Indeed it is possible 
that it might be more profitable in such areas not to market the small yearling scallops, 
but to leave them to grow. 
Beginning with late spring and early summer the growth of scallops which will 
make up the market class of the succeeding winter is well shown by the increase in 
average length. (Tables 6 and 7, and fig. 26c.) Until about this time there is 
extreme variation in size, and through the preceding fall and into the winter the con- 
tinued addition of new stock has reduced the average so that average increase in 
Figure 26. — Growth of scallops at Pivers Island, N. C. A, Longest of 1925 year class 
as determined by Table 8 (there is some uncertainty as to a few points, particularly 
the highest which may represent an older class); B, longest of 1926 year class (see 
Tables 7 and 8); C, average length of 1926 year class (see Table 6); D, longest of 1927 
year class (Tables 7 and 8); E, average length of 1927 year class (see Table 6) 
size is considerably less than growth rate. The advance of the mode offers an even 
less satisfactory method of study, because of continued dominance of the very small 
scallops in my collections. Until late spring, growth rate of scallops less than 1 year 
old seems best represented by the increase in size of the largest of the year class. 
(Fig. 26, b and d .) These largest individuals apparently do not increase their lead 
over the others and may be taken to be older than more rapid-growing individuals. 
Typical sizes are shown by the size-frequency curves. 
The sizes given in these growth and size frequency curves apply strictly only to 
the scallops of the Pivers Island flats. In a general way they apply to the scallops 
of other beds in Beaufort Harbor and in eastern Bogue Sound, some of which produce 
larger scallops and other smaller ones. The scallops of Core Sound and particularly 
of western Bogue Sound in general are much smaller. 
