CIHM 
 
 ICIMH 
 
 Microfiche 
 
 Collection de 
 
 Series 
 
 microfiches 
 
 (IMonographs) 
 
 (monographies) 
 
 Canar'ian Institute for Historical IMicroraproductions / Institut Canadian da microraproductions historiquas 
 
Technical and Bibliographic Notes / Notes techniques et bibllographlques 
 
 The Institute has attempted to obtain the Isest original 
 copy available for filming. Features of this copy which 
 may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of 
 the images in the reproduction, or which may 
 significantly change the usual method of filming are 
 checked below. 
 
 
 D 
 D 
 
 D 
 D 
 
 D 
 D 
 
 D 
 
 D 
 
 Coioursd covers / 
 Couverture de couleur 
 
 Covers damaged / 
 Couverture endommagte 
 
 Covers restored and/or laminated / 
 Couverture restaurde et/ou pellicula 
 
 Cover title missing / Le titre de couverture manque 
 
 Coloured maps / Cartes g^ographiques en couleur 
 
 Coloured init (i.e. other than blue or black) / 
 Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) 
 
 Coloured plates and/or illustrations / 
 Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur 
 
 Bound with other material / 
 Re\\6 avec d'autres documents 
 
 Only edition available / 
 Seule Mition disponible 
 
 Tight binding may cause shadows or distortton along 
 interior margin / La reliure sen-^e peut causer de 
 I'ombre ou de la distorsion le long de la marge 
 intdrieure. 
 
 Blank leaves added during restorattons may appear 
 within the text. Whenever possible, these have been 
 omitted from filming / Use peut que certaines pages 
 blanches ajoutdes lors d'une restauration 
 apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsque cela 6tait 
 possible, ces pages n'ont pas 6X6 filmtes. 
 
 L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 
 M possible de se procurer. Les dwells de cet exem- 
 plaire qui sont peut-Mre unk)ues du point de vue bibli- 
 ogiaphkiue, qui peuvent modifier une image reprodulte, 
 ou qui peuvent exiger une nfK)difk»tion dans la m6tho- 
 de nonnale de filmage sont indkjute ci-dessous. 
 
 I I Cotoured pages/ Pages de couleur 
 
 I I Pages danwged / Pages endommag^es 
 
 □ Pages restored and/or laminated / 
 Pages restaurtes et/ou pellteultes 
 
 Pages discotoured, stained or foxed / 
 Pages dteolortes, tachetdes ou pk|utes 
 
 I I Pages detached/ Pages d6tach6es 
 
 l/l Showthrough/ Transparence 
 
 □ Quality of print varies / 
 Quality inhale de I'impresston 
 
 Includes supplementary material / 
 Comprend du materiel suppl^mentaire 
 
 Pages wholly or partially obscured by envta slips, 
 tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best 
 possible image / Les pages totalement ou 
 partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'enata, une 
 pelure, etc., ont 6t6 film^es k nouveau de fafon k 
 obtenir la meilleure image possible. 
 
 Opposing pages with varying colouration or 
 discolouratk>ns are filmed twk» to ensure the best 
 possible image / Les pages s'opposant ayant des 
 colorations variables ou des decolorations sont 
 filmtes deux fois afin d'obtenir la meilleure image 
 possible. 
 
 D 
 D 
 
 D 
 
 
 
 Additional comments / 
 Commentaires suppl6mentaires: 
 
 Page 28 is fnoorractly nuriMrad page 8. 
 
 Thia Ham ia mnatf at tlw raducUon ratio dMctod baktw / 
 
 Ca dtMuiMM eat mm* au taux da rMuction iiMfl<|u« oNlaaaoua. 
 
 lOx 
 
 14x 
 
 18x 
 
 22x 
 
 26x 
 
 30x 
 
 12x 
 
 lex 
 
 20x 
 
 U* 
 
 28x 
 
 J 
 
 32x 
 
The copy filmed h«r« hat b««n raproducad thanks 
 to tha 9anaroaity of: 
 
 National Library of Canada 
 
 L'axamplaira film* fut raproduit grAca k la 
 gAnirositi da: 
 
 Bibllotheque natlonale du Canada 
 
 Tha imagas appaaring hara ara tha bast quality 
 possibia considaring tha condition and lagibillty 
 of tha original copy and in kaaping with tha 
 filming contract apacificatiena. 
 
 Original capias in printad papar covars ara filmad 
 baginning with ttta front covar and anding on 
 tha last paga with a printad or illuatratad impraa* 
 sion. or tha back covar whan appropriata. All 
 othar original copias ara filmad baginning on tha 
 first paga with a printad or illuatratad impraa- 
 sion, and anding on tha last paga with a printad 
 or illuatratad impraaaion. 
 
 Tha laat racordad frama on aach microf leha 
 shall contain tha symbol ^^ (moaning "CON- 
 TINUED"), or tha symbol ▼ (moaning "END"), 
 whichavar appliaa. 
 
 Las imagas suivantas ont «t* rsproduitss svsc Is 
 plus grand soin. compta tanu da la condition at 
 da la nattat* da l'axamplaira film*, st sn 
 conformity avac laa conditions du contrst da 
 fllmaga. 
 
 Laa axamplairaa originaux dont la couvartura sn 
 papiar aat ImprimAa sont filmte an commandant 
 par la pramiar plat at an tarminant soit par la 
 darnlAra paga qui comporta una amprainta 
 d'imprassion ou d'illustration, soit par la sscond 
 plat, salon la cas. Tous las autras axamplsiras 
 originaux sont filmis an commandant par la 
 pramlAra paga qui comporta una amprainta 
 d'impraasion ou d'illustration at an tarminant par 
 la darniira paga qui comporta una talla 
 amprainta. 
 
 Un das symbolas suivants spparahra sur la 
 darniira imaga da chaqua microfiche, talon la 
 cas: la symbols — »- signifia "A SUIVRE ". la 
 symbols ▼ signifio "FIN ". 
 
 Mapa, platas, charu. ate, may ba filmad at 
 diffarant raduction ratios. Thosa too larga to ba 
 antiraly included in ona axposura ara filmad 
 baginning in tha uppar laft hand cornar, laft to 
 right and top to bottom, as many frames as 
 required. The following diegrams illuatrata the 
 method: 
 
 Lea cartes, plenches. tableaux, etc.. peuvent itre 
 filmte A dee taux da reduction diffirents. 
 Lorsque le document est trop grand pour *tre 
 reproduit en un soul clichi. il est filmi A partir 
 da Tangle supArieur geuche, de gauche A droite. 
 et de heut en bas. en prenent le nombre 
 d'Imeges nOcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants 
 illustrent la mOthoda. 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 4 
 
 5 
 
 6 
 
MKtOCOrY RHOIUTION TBT CHART 
 
 (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) 
 
 A APPLIED IMH GE 
 
 K-- '653 Eost Main Street 
 
 ^ Rochester. New York U609 USA 
 
 S (716) «2 - OJOO - Phone 
 
 S (^16) i8a-5989 -Fa« 
 
INVESTIGATIONS 
 
 WTO THR 
 
 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HERRING 
 
 IN TIIK 
 
 ATLANTIC WAT£RS OF CANADA 
 
 1914 
 
 PRELIMINARY REPORT No. 1. 
 
 ■Y 
 
 JO HAN HJORT. 
 
 DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVAL SERVICE 
 
 SUPPLEMENT 
 
 TO THE P >■. 
 SER^ 
 
 ^AL REPORT OP THE DEPARTMENT OP THE NAVAI 
 OR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING MARCH 31. 1915. 
 
 -C^/^ 
 
 OTTAWA 
 
 PRINTED BY J. d« L. TACHl!:. PRINTER TO THE KINO'S MOST 
 EXCELLENT MAJESTY 
 
 [No. 38b— 1916.] 
 
e GEORGE V 
 
 SESSIONAL PAPER No. Mb 
 
 A. tsie 
 
 INVESTIGATIONS INTO THK NATURAL HISTORY OF 
 
 THE HERRING OF THE ATLANTIC WATERS 
 
 OF CANADA, 1914. 
 
 PRKLrVIlNAHY UEPoUT No. 1. 
 
 n 
 
 70HAH HJOBT. 
 
 When the Biological Board of Canadn did me the irrent honou» uf atkiiiff me to 
 »i^.t Cainada for tue period of a few monthi to *Hid,r the Atlantic herrinu fiiihories I 
 accepted thu invitation wi»h the greatest pienHure. hoping that Home UHeful scientific 
 infornwtion might be obtained through a comparison of the herring fighcrict of the 
 two ii^a of the Atlantic, if studied by the methods empl„ye<l during recent years in 
 north European water..' It was from the k.ginnir.g un.lorHtr..^ that a few months' 
 work could aim at nothing more than a preliminary orientation in some of th« nott 
 Win'"— P"*^'*"*- ^^^ """^ important problems seem to me to be the fol- 
 
 1. Do the herring that visit the Atlantic coast of Canada all belong to a 
 single race or type, or is it jHissible to distinguish several races in these waters! 
 
 2. Does the rate of growth vnry (according to the conditions of the waters 
 along the coast)? Can types of different growth be distinguished and defined! 
 
 3. Ib the renewal of the stock of herring of a constant character, or are 
 there the some groat fluctuations in the stock (in the number of individuals 
 belonging to the different year-classes) as in Euroiit waters? 
 
 The first two problems or groups of problems are of course identical with the 
 
 .oblc-ms of the distribution or migrations of the herring. If the Atlantic stock of 
 
 herring can be shown to belong to several different races, then of course th-» area of 
 
 distribution and migration of each ,r type mny be defined by a studv of samples 
 
 of herring taken from different loca' along the whole coast. 
 
 The third problem is of the grt-^est importance for any elacidation of the old 
 riddl^the fluctuations in the yield of the fisheries-this being to a very great extent 
 dependent on the fluctuations in the number of herring at the time living in the sea 
 
 In order to be able to study these questions, I asked the Biological Board to assist 
 me in getting collections, samples of the catches of the fishermen from differert parts 
 of the coast I have further for the same purpose, made a journey nlong that part of 
 the Atlantic coast of North America where herring are caught, from Boston along the 
 Atlantic Coast of Canada to Newfoundland, trying everywhere to get samples for an 
 «aminati.m by the methods referred to K<ve. Samples have been collected as 
 lollows :— 
 
 1. Spring Herring, 1911— 
 
 (o) Collections from the coasts (west, north, and east) of Newfoundland. 
 (6) Collections from the gulf of St. I4iwrence (Magdalen islands, several 
 places in the Northumberland strait, and the west coast of Cape Breton). 
 
 38b— 11 
 
DBrAKTMIfVT OF TBK T(AVAl UKRVIOB 
 
 • Of OROC V, A. ttt« 
 
 ». Fall Hcrrinff 1014— 
 
 (a) Wast Outfit of Newfoundlaad. 
 (6) AtUntio oout of Nova Bootia. 
 (c) Bay of Fondy. 
 (if) Olouocator, MaM. 
 
 Durinc mj joumoy along Um Atlantio ooa«t I had many opportunitiaa of oon* 
 renatioiu with buiinerf people and flsbermen interettod in the herring ftiheriia, and 
 at some pUoee I had the opportunity of weiiig the iiihing gear and how it waa UMd. 
 The fisherraen uie, almoi' without nn exception, gill-niHi with a certain fisad tice of 
 meah (21 to i'| inchei). ihn net* are placed along the lea-bottom on the cnait or in 
 the bays' or inlets along the- ihore. At no point is fishing carried on far out from the 
 coast in deep water, or on the surfaoe( by drift-neta or by purse-seinea). 
 
 This particular method cf fishing has, of course, great disadvantages for the study 
 of the life-history of the herribf. The big meshes of the fishermen's nets can procure 
 samples of the large, mature herrius only, and it is further quite uncertain whether 
 the samples are in any way representative of even the mature shoals or not. It maf 
 be that the fishermen, through a long experience cf fishing in these waters, have been 
 able to adopt a sixe of mosh which takes practically all the sizes of mature herring 
 visiting the coast, but only by menus of experiments carried out with gear taking all 
 the aises probably occurring, can this question be satisfactorily answcriMl. The study 
 of the composition of the stock of herring with regard to age (year classes) will there- 
 fore be of a superficial character so long as systematic fishing experiments have not 
 bean made. 
 
 The methods adopted in the fishing industry at present are further inadequate, 
 for a study of the life-history of the herring, for the reason that the fishing is carried 
 on only along the coast. According to the experience of the fishermen the herring come 
 into the bays or to the coast at a certain time of the year. In Newfoundland (the 
 west coast) for example, in the spring and in the fall the herring appear. When I 
 visited the bays of the west coast n{ Newfoundland at the beginning of November 
 the fishermen had just begun to catch the herring in the southern bays, while th^ 
 were still waiting for them in the northern bays (Bonne bay). In conversation with 
 the fishermen I obtained the informf..!on that shoals of herri.ig were oft«n s<>en off 
 the coasts of Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, a id Newfoundland, at certain seasons of the 
 year (e.g., in summer) when no herring struck into the shore. A sotisfactory study 
 of the life-history of the herrinp must therefore be baited upon material collected by 
 systematic fishing experiments, carried on along the coast and off the coast in the 
 open sea, with such gear that all sizes of herring can be captured. From a perusal of 
 my paper, mentioned above, especially page 59. fig. 94, it will be seen that investigations 
 of the European herring in the North Sea have .ad to be carried out in this way. 
 Only through an expedition, equipped with gear for the catching of all sires of 
 herring, and with a sea-going vessel available, will a siJsf«!*ory scientific study of 
 the herring be possible. 
 
 From the experience which I have obtained during iu/ recent tour, it seems to 
 me quite evident that a thorough scientific investigation of the life-history of the 
 herring must necessarily be of the greatest immediate practical importance. To 
 prove this, I think it sufficient to draw attention to the following circumstances: — 
 
 (1) Only large mature hc:ring are taken in the big lesh of the fishermen's nets, 
 whereas in Norway hundreds of thousands of barrels of younger lierring ("fat- 
 herring ") have been caught every year for centuries. 
 
 (2) No Canadian herring fishing is carried on off the coast in the open sea far 
 from land. In the North Sea millions of barrels are caught far from land every year. 
 The coaat fiahing is comparatively insignificant. In Norway all fishing was coast 
 
yATlHAL HIHTOHY OF THK HKHKISO % 
 
 •CniONAL PAPtN N«, Mb 
 
 i«bing until tome lucpcatful ii*hitiR ('K|it>riin<itti wuvf nutitfmtury evidencit that 
 hmins could juit a* well be cauglit off the i-oant, ntxi hiindrnl!! of ihoutnnds of bnrrcU 
 bar* in couiei|uenpe been oauirht every yrnr. Tbtiw fiiiinidorutioni nro by no meant 
 ne*" Id the Canadian fiitheripf. For ninny year* the Cnnadiaii < vcrnmcnt made 
 •ffrrta to inveatiRate the problem of catchinir herring in <>ff*hore wniers, und by drift 
 neli (ueh ai are used in Kiirnpean watcn. 
 
 A ttoam drifter " No. 33 " was bouirht and bruiiRht over fn)m Hcotlnnd in the year 
 19<H, and thia itearoer hat, during tho yenra l)MN-7 curried out a ffrott number of 
 esporinii'iitt under the experienced direction of Mr. J. J. Cowie. (See the annual 
 report* of the Department of Marine and Kiiheric* for t)i« yean IIKM * and a tpeoial 
 report by Mr. Cowie publiched by the department at Hulletin No. l.y The experi- 
 ments were in the ttrtt yi an not very tucccttful, but in the year 10O7 moit promising 
 catchca were made oiT Prince Kilward Itland. off the Moipiulen itlandit. and off the 
 Uaipi coatt. In all thciie t^iKrimentK, catt'heM wi-re nindo (up to nixty-ciglit and 
 mainly between twenty and thirty barrel* in a night) which may be contidcrcd tatia- 
 factory, ttiMH-'ially if the fact be conBidernl that drift-net fi«hing everywhere mutt 
 depend on tho detailed and local experience which it necettary for making good hnuhi, 
 and will require fishing operationt for sonip teatont. Further, one boat working alone 
 hat greater difficultiet in finding the ichooU of *icrring than a fleet of boatt, and laat 
 but not leatt, fithing exjicrimentt. always ti i ig ground in or«ler to extend the 
 knowledge of a large gi ugruphical area, oun niver 1m' ex|)ecte<l to ohtiiiti micli eon- 
 tiderable oatchct at boatn which stay on tlie field where fishing hat provml to give 
 tatitfactory rotultc. Mr. Cowie't experiments would thus, in any case, give ample 
 groundt for the expectation that material, for tho study of tho naturn! history of be 
 herring, could be got by meant of a tchemc of drift-net experiment*. Indeed, there 
 teemed to me to be to much hope of obtaining practical reaultt of value to the fith- 
 eriet, through the underttanding of the natural history of tho herring, that I ven- 
 tured to propose to the Biological Board of Canada that the study of the Canadian 
 herring tho\i.d bo taken up by a well-plannc«l expedition. Such an expediiton would 
 investigate the sea off Nova Scotia and in the gulf of St. I^iBwrenoe (luring the period 
 extending from May to September. 
 
 My propotal was favourably regarded and accepted by the Biological Boord, and 
 later by the Department of Naval Service, which granted the nie:Mi« and a^sisti' 
 necessary for tho work. A detailed plan for the work was drawn up by the Doniii •: 
 Commitaioner of Fisheries, Prof. E. E. Prince, and myself, as follows: - 
 
 1. That the tteam drifter " No. 33 " be fitted out with drift-nets fjr the 
 catch of herring and fith in the gulf of St. I.nwrenec and off the .'; 'intic coatt 
 of Nova Scotia during the tuggested time — May to Sentember. 
 
 2. That hydrographical and biological investigatiLut \ <s carried ou'. through 
 the atsistance of fishery cruisers. 
 
 The steam drifter " No. 83 " to be fitted out with her gear, etc., in Halifax during 
 the first part of May, and then proceed directly to the gulf of St. Lawrence, in order 
 to carry on herring fishing operations off the coasts of Gaspe, New Brunswick, Fringe 
 Edward Island, the Magdalen Islands, and the west shore of Capo Breton. When the 
 season advances the vessel should follow the schools of herrings out to sea, mainl'' 
 on the bank between the Oasp^ coast and Cape Breton, especioUy with the object 
 of getting samples of the different schools of herrings there. In the late summer she 
 will further have to make test catches of herrings of the west coast of Newfoundland 
 and the east coast of Cape Breton and Nova Scotia. 
 
 The hydrographical and biological investigations will mainly aim at the collec- 
 tion of the following material: — 
 
 Hj/drographu. — The distribution of tho different water ayerfc (cur- 
 rents) in the gulf and the outside areas, by collection of water samples for 
 determination of lalinities (titrations). 
 
•' ^'■^P^tmnsr OF TBE XAVAL SERriCE 
 
 6 GEORGE V, A. 1916 
 
 Biology.— {a) Tho distribution of the eMs and larva, of tJ.» „, .. ■ 
 
 ant food-fishes, jnaiuly cod, haddock. PoIlocTral r^a d he-i -I'Th U 
 
 material will make it ixjssible to outline the areas where these fish «Tw, A 
 
 may thus bo caught during their spawning time. '^^"' '^^ 
 
 for tl!l ^^l '^''*"''".''°;' °f the most important animals, which servo as food 
 for these hahes. especially the Schizopoda. These investiffntin.,* m .71 ■ 
 
 ally important after the spawning time is over a^d tinSft-rritT"" 
 feeding on or outside the spawning banks. (herrings), are 
 
 aeriefoVcrlir:-"' ''""■" "' ''' ""'""''■ '^ ^---^ -'P-'-'^ *» «-"«« three 
 
 1. The first in ila.v, when herring and other fish are spawning and wI.An 
 the winter conditions still may be found in the sea. 'P'*^'"»' '»"'* ^^^^ 
 
 water 11 '^°''^' "'" /".'"'' •'"'"'" ""^ '"'^'^ "^^ '^^^^ ^'^ «'« to be found in the 
 
 kI I" n , /? ^ "^* "^^^^ ^h" '"^■"' '"^'^''Pe from tho eggs tho time will 
 
 ?bv r" ^"'I'f ' ^' "*" ^°'='**'°'^ "^ t^« «P«^'"» groundTof thoTerrrnL 
 
 tt^rst infltrefofTh^ '°""* ''""^ 'V"'" ^''- '^ P-'^'« to deterS 
 ine nrsi influence of the summer season in the sea 
 
 3 The third series of cruises, at tho end of July or in August when th« 
 distribution of young fish (herring, cod., etc.) can be studied and when the 
 summer conditions of the sea are fully advanced in the different waSayet 
 m«tPll r°" '"P"'""'"* that each of these series of cruises should follow approxi- 
 
 i' ' durhg Z TsL'Tis" %ih "'" ''^l"*"*^ "°"^"'^°'^ ^*'^'^" «— •- S • 
 
 ;mnnrf«n7h i! / ? '^^^^'" '"P"'*""* ^0 arrange the courses so that the mos 
 
 important banks (spawning grounds) and layers of water can be included and c^ma 
 der observation. The ideal arrangement of the cruises would s^emtot:- 
 
 ^J'h^^'^'f.f stations from Escumenao point (New Brunswick) over the 
 great bank of the gulf of St. Lawrence to the bank east of Anticosti. 
 
 2. A line from there across the northern channel to Matashwan bank. 
 
 3. From the Matashwan bank to the Bay of Islands (Newfoundland) 
 
 4. From St. George's bay (Newfoundland) across the great channel 
 between Newfoundland and Cape Breton, passing cape St. Lawrence and 
 continuing to Pictou island. b i^ oi. i^wrence and 
 
 contfnentTslo;""''' ""'""'' '"'''' "•'"*'^' °^" ^^"'^ '^'^' ^-^ to the 
 
 and St'^^^rSandT "" ''""''""•'""' '""^ ''""' ''' ^'^"« ^^"^^ ^^'^-'^ 
 
 7. From those islands over the Green bank to the Great bank. 
 
 8. From Great bank to the southeastern corner of Newfoundland. 
 • Along each of these lines, stations should be determined with a distance of about 
 
 20 miles between each station. The average time for the work on a sUt"on nnv 
 approximately be established at from one to one and a half hours. An investiga" u 
 along these hues would give three cross-sections of the outflowing waters of the 
 St. Lawrence and of the Atlantic water flowing into the gulf, and provide full onpor! 
 S'w f°'-^fi"?^>y determining the old questions of the conn^tion between the 
 rn^dVeri/rsrLrrn::ttt"^ ''- '^-^^ -^ Newfoundland) and the Atla.S 
 .n- J?* "»^««tiKat[on would further give important information ^regarding the 
 ZT^A^T^ of the most important fishes, inside and outside the gulf of St Law^ 
 
 Tr^ Thltn^r""! S:?T"''^i?^."°'^ •''"'"^''"'^ '=°"<^'*'<'"« >" thTs gr«at fishing 
 ar«i. This contemplated plan will, in any case, in its ir .in lines be the basis for 
 
"H/LTVRAL BISTORT OF TBB BERRllfO 7 
 
 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 38b 
 
 work during the coining summer. It is still uncertain if circumstances will allow 
 it to be carried out to its full extent. Some parts, as for instance certain of the 
 proposed lines for hydrographical and biologicul work, may have to bo omitted should 
 the necessary assistance of ships required not be available, but the expedition will, aa 
 far as circumstances allow, aim at the full undertaking of all the work proposed, and 
 preparations for the equipment of the ships (gear, instruments) are now in progress. 
 Before the commencement of the expedition, it seems advisable to give a short 
 review of the results already obtained by the study of the material collected during 
 the year 1014. It is evident that these results can only be regarded as preliminary. 
 The material to be collected during the coming season will, it is hoped, give a much 
 wider basis for the discussion of the problems, the solution of which is now to be 
 attempted, and a tinal statement will therefore have to wait till further material h;n 
 been secured and the whole question considered in its entirety. But in the meantime 
 it may be of value also for those who are taking part in the expedition to become 
 acquainted in a preliminary way with the results .if tlie material which iun hwu 
 studied already. The material now before me may throw some light on the following 
 problems concerning the natural history of the herring: — 
 
 1. The racial characters of Canadian herring. 
 
 2. The age and growth of herring. 
 
 3. The fluctuations in the year-classes of herring. 
 
 I will in the following pages treat each of these problems separately. 
 
 1. RACIAL CHARACTERS. 
 
 The fishermen have in course of time made the observation that the herring are 
 not everywhere of the same sort; that difiFerent sizes and qualities appear at different 
 times, and in different parts (ft the sea. This led many to conclude that there are in 
 the North Sea, for example, a great number of different local races of herring, each 
 with a very restricted area of movement, and that the peculiar seasonal occurrence is 
 only due to the fact that the fish, during the period of development of the genital 
 organs, congregate in denser schools, rendering fishery operations profitable. Between 
 the two extreme opinions, that of a great migration, and that of a number of local 
 races, various other theories have arisen, and there exists a considerable series of 
 works dealing with the different hypotheses. Scientific writers on the subject have, 
 also, ever since the time of Linnaeus, distinguished between different races or varie- 
 ties of herring. There has, however, as Lilljeborg observes, always been a difficulty 
 in classifying them according to definite and constant characteristics. In the earlier 
 literature on the subject, w find several attempts at establishing a sharper distinction 
 between the races by means of measurements and figures. Thus Nilsson attempted to 
 calculate different physical dimensions, in proportion to the total length, for several 
 races of herring, and to compare these proportions as between different races. He 
 calculates in the case of the ocean herring (forma occanica) that the longitudinal 
 diameter of the eye amounts to from one twenty-8(>cond to one-twentieth of the total 
 length (to base of tail fin) whereas the corresponding figures for the coast herring 
 (Skjsergaardssild; forma taenensis) are only from one-seventeenth to one-sixteenth. 
 
 This method of distinguishing between different races by measurement of the 
 dimensions of the body has, as is generally known, played an especially important part 
 in the study of the races of mankind (anthropometry)) and the attempts which have 
 been made to find some arithmetical exprejwion of such minor racial peculiarities as 
 lie at, or beyond, the limit of immediate visual perception, or are subject to so great 
 a degree of variation that extensive observations are necessary in order to discover the 
 average and the distinguishing characteristic for each separate race. 
 
• DT:PAnTMEST OF THE XAYAL SERTICK 
 
 T. . . „ . , ^ 6 GEORGE V, A. 1916 
 
 value for the stSdy of mTklnd ^*'"""^ '^° discovered and found of 
 
 their kind, andltanding thS"e t ^10,1^ ^^^'^Tf' *°««*J>«' Propagating 
 idea of a race is based u^n that of an ilaftype AH X l"""? '° A-t "'''"• '^^^ 
 from this type, both as regards each single quality aJdloT« l"'^'^''^-'^ diverge 
 bmation of all the qualities appertaininlto tSe^ Th« v^^M """^ *° *^' *'"'°- 
 supposes a certain degree of variation in thfiinS T !*? '•'^'' of a type pre- 
 type being the averagTor mean of aH Ve dfff!, ? •^""•'f '?'^ '^ *^«'' ^^^t^^-^ the 
 
 Heincke'e methcS is tSoL to examlnt^he indll'f f '"•t"'^ '^''*"'''^- 
 large number of qualiti-^s ^dZ fed T„ it? '"'^T'*^"''^^ ^^^ ^sa^l to all. or a 
 of these. In this' way. thTitliu^ J^Tt^'tS'l^T' ^^ « .r^-ation 
 srroup themselves about the same tv™ (tZ !1 * !u "! "^'^ """ naturally 
 different races be separatS oTng ^thl tounT/„f 5^"«*)• ""^ individuals of 
 means. (Metode der kombiniZ*'MerkmaK ''"'*'"' ^"^"^ '^'*^"'«''* 
 
 featu^rsrus:Ss^o7t„i:rfr^^^^^^^^^ 
 
 features which Heinck; hanLm^td hlf k ^^'^ u^'' ^^ *^« «'^«*«' '"^''er of 
 and growth. As HeTncke himTeir^l^t. „ t' ^T""^""' •'««'»/°"'»d *« vary with age 
 can therefore be regarded as sSci^^p. '/'''^ V"" '* '^^ investigations made 
 
 num£ ot^ilbtt^farS'Tv^^aSor?^^^^ "^ ^«« «-• 
 
 number of tail verteb^ E IvlrfLo i/k ^i ' ^'"^'^ examples up to 60; 
 keeled scales under I4T ^ ' ^^ '*' "'^'^ '°°'^' «^"««« '»"'«»'«' "f 
 
 land. These havP nil « rnT , ! *^*' ^'"* ^°™® distance from 
 
 auu. xiiese nave all a medium number of vertebra> CiR.K tr, ki (!^ . 1 
 
 number of keel scales behind the ventral finsTlS to l7^M? \^"*^^ 
 
 highly developed. They have a broad skull The southe™ 2nfc T''^ ^"^ 
 
SATllfAL HIHTOKY OF THE UfRRIXO 
 
 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 38b 
 
 5. Spring herring of the Baltic. Size less than 200 mm., number of ver- 
 tebHB 55-5 to 65 on an average; keeled scales behind ventral fins, also small in 
 number, the highest, 140 going down to 13-5 or less, number of first vertebra 
 with hsmal arch in contrast to small number of vertebne very high, on average 
 
 6. Herrings of iinglish Channel. Size medium, probably on an average not 
 over 250 mm., number of vertebrae small, 56; number of keeled scales behind 
 ventrals very large, 15 and more. 
 
 7. Herrings of the White Sea. A very distinct nice, size moderate; num- 
 ber of vertebrae very small, only 53-6 on average and descending even to 62; 
 very small number of keeled scales, 12-5 behind ventral fins. 
 
 To this system there seems to be some general law for the development of the 
 different types. Thus as the salinity of the Baltic diminishes from west to east, the 
 constitutional size of the " ripe " herring becomes smaller, as does the number of eer- 
 tebrte, and the breadth of the skull, the body becomes shorter; the lengths of head 
 and tail become greater, and so docs the difference in position between the dorsal and 
 anal nns. 
 
 Again, those herring which grow in very warm, shallow and brackish water, as 
 those of Schley and Zuider Zee, have an extremely small number of vertebrae to the 
 post-htemal arch. And again, the herring with the most considerable constitutional 
 size, and likewise the largest number of vertebra, live on the coasts of the northern 
 portions of the North sea. and of Norway and Iceland. 
 
 Many investigations of more recent years have confirmed Heincke's investiga- 
 tions, I.e., the Norwegian investigations carried out by Dr. Hjalmar Broch. Of special 
 interest are the following features in hia description of a peculiar tvpe of herring 
 from the inlocked Beitstadfjord, a part of the Trondhjemsfjord. This type resembles 
 the Norwegian coast herring, but has a smaller number of vertebra (5648 on an 
 average); the number of the first vertebrae, with ha;mal arch, is 25 09; the keel scales 
 (behind the ventrals) 1358, while these numbers for the coast herring are 67 60 
 25 05, and 14 07. 
 
 The investigations of herrings from the Atlantic coast of Canada are yet of a 
 quite preliminary nature, but they already show, nevertheless, some features of great 
 interest. I found it necessary to confine the work to some of the many characters 
 which Heincke has studied, and I selected the following, which also are regarded by 
 Hemcke himself as the most important ones: — 
 
 Number of fin rays in the dorsal fin. 
 Number of fin rays in the anal fin. 
 Number of keel scales behind the ventrals. 
 Total number of vertebrw. 
 Number of first vertebra? with haemal arch. 
 
 For the study of these characters, a series of samples (each consisting of from 
 fifty to seventy-five individuals) were selected from the following localities:— 
 West coast of Newfoundland . 
 
 Magdalen islands, Northumberland straits, Gulf of St. Lawrence. 
 West Ardoise (Cape Breton, Atlantic coast). 
 Lockeport (Nova Scotia, Atlantic coast). 
 Bay of Fundy. 
 Gloucester, Massachusetts. ' 
 
 The investigations were made with the kind assistance of Dr. A. G. Huntsman 
 and Mr. Home Craigie of the University of Toronto. Table No. 1 contains the 
 figures embracing the averages of the characters mentioned above for these samples, 
 and the table gives in addition some details concerning the average length, percentage 
 of the sexes, stages of development of sexual organs in individuals, etc. 
 
10 
 
 nEPARTMEyr of tbe naval 
 
 SERVICE 
 
 w^^^^^ . ^^ ..... ^ jr:r ' ^ '"• 
 
 Wlien cuiifflit I L. „ . ' 
 
 Kail 1914 
 
 AviTURelenp-hts. 
 
 Ifrwntof s .. 
 
 rtt cent <if rf" 
 
 Aveiasrpstag,.ofsi?x!DrB' 
 Averai,e„ff„t *' 
 
 Spawnfin , > IS I. . 
 Average numlier Dorsal rav,., 
 AveraR,. „„mber Anal W ' 
 
 w h clwed normal arel. 
 Total niin.lK., „f vert.-l.rae 
 
 ^rom 28 to^ 'at^r^T ^-'«nt of fat). \S"t,n?- - '^-lopn.ent 
 20: anal fi„ ^i^^ X S'to 20?'" ''' '^''"«' «" '"-V^ -Sd frli^rj'"' ^'"-^'"Sf 
 total number of vertebra fro™,'. T ^^= "^^^ ««'>Ie9 from 11 1^14 ' ""^"^ 
 
 avera^ „„^ter. 25. "^ '^'"'" ^'' ^ ''' ^-.e 56-8.3; first ve "ebrallehS!, 1' J 
 
 '•"diSaHrt 27To ?,"^''''^" j^^-'^^. -"«ht in ^a. 1^,4 • . 
 
 - £/^ io~s..f-:- ^^ -g^ 
 
 total number ;f\":jb:: S S ''' ""'''^'^ "'^^ " S ealila toT/ ""^ '' ^ '''• 
 
 foUows:- ' ""'' """•'^'"■•« individuals, thrftagt of flf "^ r"^"'* "^ ■» '"«- 
 
 'ages ot the sexual organs being as 
 
 Stage 2 (immature) : 4 
 
 23. 
 
 fall. DoS:sT/t!tr '" '''' ''^'' 1914. lowing that the he • 
 
 vertebra numlSss.S.'' '"'"' '"'-''- "f vertebra 55-57. ^veraXfi 54 'firsT Sa^ 
 
 I' I 
 
NATURAL BISTORT OF THE BERRiyo 
 
 It 
 
 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 38b 
 
 Bay of Fuudy.— A sample of young immature lierrinRs from 16 to 22 centimetres 
 of lensrth with genital organs so small that no conclusion can be drawn as to their 
 spawning time. Dorsal riiys 18 to 20, averiiKo ISi; anal rays 15 to 20. average 17-T; 
 keel scales 13 to 10, i:verago 14-1; total nunilier of vertehno .55.. 57, average 505; tirst 
 luemal vertebra number 31.7. 
 
 eioucester, Massachusetts.— A sample of small herring (13 to 22 em.) taken in 
 December, 1914, with immature genital organs. Dorsal rays IS to 21, average li»-9; 
 anal rays 16 to 20, average 18'1; keel scales 12 to 17, average 13-4; total number of 
 veitebnn 55-58, average 5«-68; first ha-mal vertebra number 24-8. 
 
 While the foregoing figures are worthy of very careful study, yet the difficulty 
 cannot be ignored that the investigation was essentially of a preliminary ehariicter, 
 and it i.: possible that the material obtained was not sufficient to decide with certaintv 
 its full representative character. The quantity may not be sufficiently larae to iio 
 regarded as representative or typical of the schools of herring from which the samn'es 
 were lakeu. 
 
 No opinion can of course be made from a priori considerations; experience and 
 continued investigation are the only means of arriving at a final and reliable con- 
 clusion m this matter. It will be noticed that the samples examined have been limited 
 to about fifty in each sample. The reason for this was that the v, rying factors in 
 most cases show a comparatively very narrow amplitude of variation (four or five 
 classes). The results obtained seem to demonstrate that the method adopted gives 
 corresponding results, but I wish nevertholoss hero to emphasize: first, that the results 
 will have to be regarded as tentative and preliminary; and. secondly, that they ought 
 to be confirmed during the work of the expedition before us. For this purpose it is 
 valuable to consider the figures more thoroughly and try to ascertain what further 
 investigations would seem of greatest interest and importance. 
 
 The first result yielded by the figures given above, and by table 1, is this: that 
 there is a marked difference bet..een the spring-spawning types of the gulf of St. Law- 
 rence, Northumberland strait, Magdalen islands, and the west coast of Newfoundland, 
 and the herrings from the Atlantic open coast (Cape Breton and Nova Scotia). This 
 IS already well known from the experience of men engaged in the Atlantic fishing 
 industry; spring spawners being caught everywhere in the gulf, fall spawners off the 
 Atlantic coast. According to information, which I have obtained, through inter- 
 views with the fishermen, the limit dividing the spring spawners and the fall spawn- 
 ers has to be drawn in an easterly direction through a point along the coast of Caiw 
 Breton at its northern shore (at the entrance to the gulf of St. Lawrence). North of 
 this line all herrings are said to be spring spawners. South of the line the oceanic 
 types are all of them fall spawners, but besides these types there are known to exist 
 local spring spawning coast herrings as, for example in the bay of Fuiidy and around 
 the coasts of the southern part of Nova Scotia. This is confirmed by the early 
 :nvestigations of Gilpin.' who observes that he has seen spawning herrings both in 
 May and in September and October. From the Digby basin (bay of Fundy) he 
 observes: "The first herriifg that make their appearance in the basin come there 
 the last of March and the first of April; about the first of ^lay they begin to spawn, 
 wid by the 20th Mny they have mostly left the harbour. On the Atlantic coast of 
 Nova Scftiahe has observed a shore run, about 11 inches in length, appearing early in 
 March, and spawning in September and October." This would correspond to the con- 
 ditions in the North Sea where there are herrings, coast herrings spawning in the 
 spring, and oceanic herrings spawning at the outer banks, (e.g. Dogger bank) in the 
 fall, but my material gives no opportunity for a proper description of these interest- 
 ing varieties, which should be subjected to more thorough examination. The average 
 figures given in the table, page 10, show, on the whole, small differences only between 
 the diffeient samples. There are no very striking differences to be observed in the 
 
 actions 
 
 rnard Oilpln, "On the common herring (Clupea elongata) 
 the Nova Scotia Institute of Natural Science, vol. 1, 1863. 
 
 Proceedings and Trans- 
 
ia 
 
 DEPARTMEST OF THE XATAL SERVICE 
 
 Mi' 
 
 I 
 
 1 
 
 IJI!! 
 
 e QEORQE V, A. 1916 
 
 choracters of the different schools, from which the samples were takdn. This much 
 may, in any case, be noted: — 
 
 1. There is a marked difference in the number of keel scales between the 
 northern spring spawners and the southern fall spawners. The average for the 
 first group being about 12-5, the number for the second group increasing to 
 13 to 14. 
 
 2. The total number of vertebra; is highest in the sample from the west 
 coast of Newfoundland (66-83). 
 
 3. Amongst the three spring-spawning types the number of vertebi«e of the 
 dorsal and anal rays, and of the keel scales is higher in the sample from the 
 west coast of Newfoundland than in the samples from the southern part oi' the 
 gulf of St. Lawrence. 
 
 4. The number of dorsal and anal rays is higher in the individuals caught 
 in the open sea than in those from the closed waters (the gulf and bay of 
 JTundy). 
 
 If we compare these samples from the American Atlantic coast with the samples 
 which have been studied in European waters, we note, first of all, the very low number 
 of keel scales in the northern samples from the American side; while the oceanic 
 herrings of Northern Europe have an average number of keel scales (behind the 
 ventrals) 14, 14-5, and even 16, all the samples from the gulf of St. Lawrence show 
 an average number below 13, and near 12-6. Such a low average has in European 
 waters only been observed from the Baltic and the White Sea, that is from inclosed 
 waters with a very low winter temperature and low salinities. It is in this connec- 
 tion interesting to note that th? number of vertebra-, of fin rays and of keel scales 
 decrease in the series: west coast Newfoundland, Magdalen islands, Northumberland 
 strait, just as these corresponding figures Hecrease in Norwegian samples collected ~ 
 from the open coa^t to the head of long enclosed fjords (Beitstadfjord, see above). 
 
 The he.-ings from the west coast of Newfoundland, which in other respects, such 
 as their rate of growth, very much resemble the herrings of the Norwegian coast, 
 have no such high number of vertebne (67 to 68) as the Norwegian herrings, but I 
 must draw attention to the fact, that my material does not contain any samples from 
 the eastern shores of Newfoundland and from Labrador. These should be obtained 
 and studied before any final conclusions are drawn in this respect. 
 
 On the whole, if the material before us does not give any conclusive and final 
 determination of the racial characters of the herring types off the Atlantic coasts of 
 North America, it does at any rate indicate :firi>tly, a marked racial difference between 
 northern and southern types; and secondly, a difference between the racial characters 
 of American and European herrings 
 
 AGE AND QBOWTH. 
 
 During the international investigations of the fisheries of northern Europe, 
 methods have been developed for the study of the age and growth of the most import- 
 ant food fishes. The old discovery, that the bones and scales of these fishes show rings 
 which very closely correspond to the growth of the fishes during the different seasons, 
 has again attracted the interest of a great number of scientists, who have been able 
 to prove» that the rings very closely correspond to the growth of the fishes, not only 
 so, but the number of rings corresponds to the number of seasons (summers and 
 v^inters) during which the fish have lived, and so complete are these features that the 
 size of the rings, or zojios, gives exact information with regard to the question a« to 
 the rate the fish has grown in the different periods of growth. 
 
 The investigations of Mr. Einar Lea have shown that the herrings of the Nor- 
 wegian west coast main ly grow during the months from April to September; at the 
 
 J For the literature mi this subject I may refer the reader to my paper quoted above. 
 
yATVRAL HISTORY OF THE HERRiyo 
 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 38b 
 
 13 
 
 most rapid rate during the three months May to July, while, in the winter, practioally 
 no growth whatever i« indicated (see fig. 1, which is copied from Mr. Lea). Thin 
 
 -n- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 o 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 -4/^ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 yt 
 
 o 
 
 ■tr 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 •»-<. 
 
 -49- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 /I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 y 
 
 6 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 -M- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 J 
 
 f 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 o 
 
 J 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 m 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 HIT 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 lilJ 
 
 Jtn. 
 
 ff5 
 
 mm 
 
 />r. 
 
 May. 
 
 Juu. 
 
 J.I1I. 
 
 ^jsJ 
 
 >pt. 
 
 Oct. 
 
 m. 
 
 Oft. 
 
 )an. 
 
 Ffii. tah. 
 
 /ipr. 
 
 
 Fig. I. Diagnun illiutratins the kvenge increment of the herring* of the weiit coMt of 
 Norway in their 3rd growth period, between December, 1909, and KUrcb, 1911 («i). The 
 broken curve denotes increment in the 4th period of the herringi (U). (L«A. ) 
 
 shows the winters marked on the scales by sharp lines, while the growth of the sum- 
 mer appears as broad belts. If we now draw a picture of a scale, enlarged to such a 
 degree as to maks the distance between the centre of the so-called basal (horizontal on 
 the figures) line to the edge of the scale equal to the length of the fish (see fig. 2) then 
 
 t'm. 2. Ctrowth zones of herring scales compared with the sizu of fish. , 
 
 the distances to the different winter rings will immediately sliow tlie size of the fish 
 during each winter of its life. 
 
14 
 
 
 I III 
 
 Ml 
 
 
 W 
 
 i>EPAnTMB«T or T«, v^r^i ^„r/r* 
 
 . ^" ""^r to .Toid the arduou. »„,.t * j . ' QEORQE V. A. 1016 
 
 mg method i» adopted .. follow. Wit! ^C"""/ *''* «=*^«» »>>" enl»n«d . l.K. 
 
 -- 0. the U., H^eTt^^i^ -Jt^'i^e t^^^^^^^^ 
 
 d'Swrr^ ^* ^' *^- -- -Xa, the Wh of the .eh d • , 
 
 « nea by such investigations. Fig. 4 
 
 
 1- White Se.. ""•'• **''"'*™'*<"«.»l(«ye«,).gef,om 
 
 f t^dtt." '^-' >'"-y). I a»?, 8«o' N„.h ««. 
 
 4E.,tCo..tof8w«len. 7. llTuSd: ^^*"- 
 
 aWes.Co«tofN„,«.y,8,ri„^,^^ 
 
XATVKAL BIBTOKT Of TBS BKRRIVO |0 
 
 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 38b 
 
 •hows eight fi8h. all of equal age, yi«. 4 yean, but from differer.t localities. All an 
 drawn to the iamo «|*le and in the «ize repre«,ntin? the average for their reapective 
 
 ^^ ^!!!fV ^T*"" •^"''V"''* '"' ^^'* •"'J *'■•«' f°"°win»r fijrure are taken from two^atea 
 prepared by Lea for the Copenhagen Expedition, 1012. 
 
 The four raccg on the left (I to 4) have their origin i„ elo.e<l waters, wherea. 
 
 the four on the right (8 to 8) were taken in the open sen (North Sea. Arctic ocean. 
 
 Atlantic ocean) It w.ll at once be .cen that the herring from the closed water, are 
 
 smaller than fi«h of the same age from the mere open waters. Precisely the sama 
 
 imprewion ig obtained on examination of the scale*, as shown in fig. 8. These scnleu 
 
 Fin. 5. Noniial xcalea o{ ,5 year old hcrriiig from 
 1. Lysefjordcn. 2. Zuider Zee. 3. Kattegat. 
 
 4. raeroes. \ Iceland. «. Norway (iS-irinff herrinirl 
 
 7. We«tem part of North Sea. 8. Atlantic Ooean. 9. ShetTand- ' "^ ^'■ 
 
 illustrate the growth of 4-year old herring from the localities in question. The 
 scales are drawn in proportion to the size of the fish, while the distances between the 
 different winter rings show how they have grown from year to year. A glance at the 
 figure will show that the study of the scales furnishes information not only at. to the 
 different waters, but also as to entirely different modes or rates of growth in the 
 periods embraced. Some shew meagre growth until tlit formation of the first winter 
 ring (1 and 2), while others show more rapid growth (3). Some have grown well in 
 their first years, but less fuvourably later (7 and 8) while others exhibit very satis- 
 factory growth even in their fifth year (5, 6 and 9). The prowlh may thus exhibit 
 variations so considerable that it is frequently possible, in the case of a loose scale, to 
 determine to what fish it belongs, even though other sorts mav hav^ been taken in 
 the same haul.. 
 
 The material which has been collected from the North American waters, and 
 which I have mentioned above, is now being studied by a similar method, and I shall 
 here confine myself mainly to the results obtained from the study of the three great 
 groups or types, which we have distinguished above. 
 
 1. From the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, containing oceanic herrings 
 
 spawning in the fall, characterized by their large size. 
 
 2. From the west coast of Newfoundland, containing spring spawners. 
 
 3. From the Magdalen islands in the gulf of St. Lawrence, also spring 
 
 ^pawners. 
 
 Before we try to compare these three types it will be necessary to go into some- 
 what greater detail concerning the methods for studying the variation of growth in 
 
1« 
 
 liKI'iHtilKST OF Tnr. SAVM SKRVWK 
 
 K 
 
 6 QEOROE V, A. 191t 
 
 Wth t/ll"^ »' d'ffe^nt .i«,.. it mior. in many c««,.. b. po«ible to find the SSr.« 
 length of the herrings of each age (for each year'a am) TM. i. A^lltl i i^^ 
 the average length of aH the diffTrelt grou^ 'oT^uTire^'g' oV'rthJ ^ye^i' K 
 8-year.old herring., and lo on. Thi. same material canTlio L uJ^ f„, »Jl ?^ / 
 .^variation in length of all the 4. fl. or 0-ye.r^Si ^rrS B„f thrinvXtn 
 of later years, especially the investigation, of the Norwegian woKriTtfc eE 
 r^a and O^r Sund, have »hown that thi. metho.1 in not .o reliab^ af o^e mSh, 
 
 "St^'tit^'oHll -Lt^' •;' ^TV "''"" """'"» »' in<lividuals which .r not 
 o^}Z^!l ' " "','J"'l^"?l« °f t*"" year-cl«M to which they belong. A school 
 
 of hemng may cr 4„n only the larger individual, of the 4-year-old herring. «S^?„ 
 
 theTTJr 'ui"'""^^ "^l^T '"'''^•«1""1« ">«y not repre^int the averaw "Sh "5 al" 
 the 4-year-old hernng. of the type living in the wa. Tfce gear uwd for catehin^ the 
 
 Su"Jh tr'' ''■;? ''"'V r'*^*'"» P*'*'"- ^" *»»« .mailer l^yLr^dtrrfng my t 
 through the mo.he., and the 4.year old herring, remaining in the net m« Sow 
 be f«r from being reprewntative of the ivhole ycar-da.. tneiefore, 
 
 .tudv Tr"? °^-''" ^'f.^"^ '"^ *? *** development of another method for the 
 ex.Si„« ♦!,«•;•' 1°","°, '"' "•«"*"»!«» the average growth of fishes. We now 
 examine the individual, of our .ample., which belong to one .In.-rle yearclaJof old 
 frrown fish from the .pawning schools. the«, being «, old that w. ^ .upi^rth.t all 
 ndividual. of the year-daw have joined the .pawning whool %„, If ^ * Jt 
 
 im""'^'-^' *^^ T7'!!f •" ^ "™'''- »»>« l»STXl°ctio!"f Te di"Ln^^ 
 growth period. >. calculated, and thew figures are then used for the .tudy of theVari^ 
 tion «id average length, exhibited by the year-claw at different ag«!^^ "" 
 
 ^t f».«! T ""I j""*'L~'i"?" ■*""• ^'P'"* «>*>t'»'ned I'y the appUcation of either 
 of thew two methods The following tables (2 to 6) give »ome examole. of Z !♦,«?! 
 
 whiobf *"•"' Tf^.Vj »»'« fi"t »«thod. Ihat is by'he rmpS^of t£ a 
 which hernng. of the different year-cla«e. had reached when the .ample wa.tS 
 
 Table No. 2.-Immature herring; Halifax Harbour. Fall, 1914. 
 
 Oni. 
 
 Number of different yeu olawM. 
 
 AU year oUatm. 
 
 
 S 
 
 4 
 
 1 
 
 » 
 
 1 
 1 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 M 
 37 
 
 
 
 
 6 
 28 
 12 
 
 8 
 
 
 7 
 38 
 
 30 
 
 
 i 
 
 a 
 
 IS 
 
 8 
 
 
 .1 aiie* 
 
 3 
 
 SI 
 
 3 
 
 60 
 
 ^ All aizm 5 
 
 90 
 
 5 i 
 
 i 
 
 
 h-rJfr lif"'*" ^ "" • '^f f *'^" '"^P^^ °* immature herring, from Halifax 
 harbour. The sample consisted of 3, 4, and 5-year-old herrings. It wiU readHy te 
 tTev S/ "^ *^' 4-year.old may have been repre^ntcd in al^ such nuXr thS 
 they could give us a key to the variation and average growth of the year-claVs^ The 
 
KATVnAL HIHTOKY OF THE BKKKINO 
 StraiONAL PAPER No. Mb 
 
 TABi.it No. .1.— Atlantic Coant of .\..vb Sctia. Fall, 11H4. 
 
 ir 
 
 
 
 
 Number of dilTcnint yf»r» olaMwu. 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 Alt 
 
 Yt«r.«l*«iw. 
 
 1 
 
 1 1 
 
 S 
 
 R 
 IS 
 
 It 
 
 Cm. 
 
 19 
 M 
 
 S 
 
 t 
 I 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 ""»■ ' 
 
 4 
 > 
 
 1 
 
 8 ft lit 
 
 1 1 
 
 11 
 
 Over 
 11 
 
 : 
 
 
 
 n 
 n 
 as 
 
 M 
 
 M. 
 
 1 I 
 A 
 
 ' 
 
 
 
 * , 1" B 
 
 * ' » 10 
 
 ........ 
 
 S 
 
 s 
 s 
 
 1 
 
 ""s"' 
 
 M 
 
 
 ::;;;;:;:;::■■■• 
 
 44 
 
 n 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 18 
 
 m 
 
 
 
 
 ;:;::.;;:;•::.:■....•.. 1 r 
 
 H 
 
 AUiitM. 
 
 4 
 
 3 
 
 6 
 
 23 
 18* 
 
 IB 43 at 
 
 1 
 
 III SI 1 ! 17-9 
 
 1» 
 II » 
 
 4 
 
 135 
 
 
 
 ofallriM*. 
 
 .-» 
 
 
 fe«, ?«?rl.f/Cr li '^ ^r?", ^*"'' (•PP-^-'fy '««•»« individuals, were taken. The 
 a^Jrr^iS""^ v^.7 likely to the smaller individuals of that year-dass. Table 
 
 Novlscot r We^A" * "'""'" ■?"/V"'^ °f 13« herrings from the coast of 
 JNova Sscotia. We find here some material of interest as far as the older year-clas ^ 
 are concerned, especially the 9. 10. and 11-year-oid herring. Jear-clas -i 
 
 The 9-year-old vary between 32 and 37. 
 " 10 " " " 32 « 38. 
 
 " " ' " " 33 « 37. 
 
 The younger year-olaBses are only repre>«ntod by few individuals, and it seems 
 uncertam if the mdividuaU, present have in any case been representatbe for theTe« 
 
 Table No. 4.— West Coast of Newfoundland. Spring, 1914. 
 
 Ok. 
 
 Number of DiffFrent ye»r-cl«ac«. 
 
 All 
 Wnrcluam. 
 
 
 6 
 
 U 
 
 ! 7 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 8 » i 1" 11 12 n 
 
 1 ' 
 
 14 
 
 87 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 i 
 
 
 1 
 
 i 
 
 
 
 
 
 28 
 29 
 30 
 31 
 82 
 33 
 
 1 j 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 "i' .!::'. 
 
 1 3 
 3 . 9 
 
 ... 1 ■■■' 
 3 1 ...'. 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 3 
 
 3 
 
 11 
 
 84 
 
 89 
 
 
 
 18 6 
 13 1 7 
 
 1 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 5 
 
 13 
 3 
 
 ■•■ i-l 
 
 I 
 
 " r 
 
 84 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 1 
 
 18 
 
 36 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 3 
 2 
 
 AH sizes. 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 
 9 
 
 28 
 
 — 1 — 
 1 
 
 6i* 1 18 
 
 3 
 
 1 
 
 3 
 
 113 
 
 p. 0. 
 
 ^1 aixM. 
 
 09 
 
 09 
 
 
 80 
 
 24'8 
 
 44 3 158 
 
 27 
 
 i 
 
 
 
 38b— 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 - 
 
 
 
ft 
 
 OKfAlnitgST or TKK SAfAl SBMTiCg 
 
 li,. 
 
 Table 4 gir^ the M.ult of th. .... i / * "***"*■ ^' *• '•'• 
 
 ii^""r„':i s: nr-' «' --^ -'"i s^ a-: tti ars 
 
 ^^X!!!-!:^"''" ■•'■""•• «"■«. >•». 
 
 jiHj 
 
JTArvMAL aiaron or tkk iititKiNo 
 
 •EffllONAL PAPER No. SM 
 
 T*»i.« Ni). «. 
 
 It 
 
 A«. Y««. 
 
 Limit, lur ,»ri.ii,.„ i„ |^„^h. ^^„,y,^ j,,^^^, 
 
 •CM. 
 
 Nov. HcoiU. 
 
 H -14 
 !•-» 
 »I~»7 
 24--S1 
 
 W X< 
 27 W 
 »v-SI 
 Sl-lW 
 S2 38 
 38 ;« 
 
 NrwfoiinillMiH. 
 
 4-11 
 1(1- 21 
 
 It; sn 
 
 'U-2H 
 •.•2-30 
 25- X\ 
 25-33 
 37 -S4 
 20-38 
 3 J -36 
 
 Mairdalvn laUnds. 
 
 l»-SO 
 81 !H 
 W-87 
 »~U 
 27- a* 
 8H^ M 
 2H-ao 
 2»-SI 
 20-32 
 
 
 
 
 
 ncniB {.I) 
 
 >t Herrinin nt Ihffv 
 
 •••nt AiTM. 
 
 L. 
 
 ■ 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 NdvaHootia 
 K 
 
 . N. V. w. c 
 U6 
 
 Miwd. 1.1. 
 M 
 
 NovaHcotM 
 K 
 
 . N. F. w.c 
 K 
 
 Mi^pl 1,1. 
 M 
 
 Ii 
 
 11. U6 
 
 9 73 
 
 ti 
 
 11. OS 
 
 H 8 
 7 3 
 52 
 3.7 
 3 
 SO 
 
 9 73 
 
 li 
 
 If* 86 
 238 
 27 2 
 
 i:t7 
 
 17 2 
 
 tt 
 
 7 8 
 5 45 
 37 
 2 45 
 l.V) 
 
 7.47 
 
 )• 
 
 to i 
 22.7 
 
 23 47 
 
 2H 28 
 
 ti 
 
 ti 
 
 " 27 
 
 U 
 
 2.7»t 
 
 '» MM 
 
 28 3 
 
 2« 78 
 
 27t*7 
 
 ti 
 ta 
 
 (j 
 
 1 80 
 
 '• 31 16 
 
 27.5 
 
 1.12 
 
 
 2f' 
 
 28.74 
 
 
 It 
 
 32.28 
 
 1.10 
 1.15 
 0.75 
 
 1.1 
 14 
 
 o.« 
 
 0.87 
 
 1. 
 
 83.4 
 
 SO 2 
 
 29 2 
 
 30 83 
 31.2 
 
 ti 
 
 ti 
 
 46 
 
 U 
 
 31.1.5 
 
 31 
 
 ai.7 
 
 0.80 
 
 
 34.88 
 
 
 I.C 
 
 ti« 
 
 0.70 
 
 0.9 
 
 0.83 
 
 «. .t 5--.---^-^^-- T,-^^^^^^^ 
 
20 
 
 DEPARTMByr OF TBE VAVAt HERVWB 
 
 \m 
 
 has aU through a much more rapid growth than t), ♦ u ' '"' '"' 
 
 herring i« over H centimetres (Si^liwf /r o'''" *^- '^^« l-y««'-old 
 mcheslong). It reaches 23.6 centiUrwTwTnlLwt^'"' "* «=«'timetre8 (7i 
 
 y«-"' "^"- '' r^^" «» «• «»d n^Tl4 inchest ?o '1'"^"' ^^ '""''«•>«* 
 Ihe herrings from th« WB«t ««,..+ * vr , * ■^" y^™ of ago. 
 
 foundland herring are smaller tLn heiinL, hlv • !"" l""^ ^''^ ^^^^ *''« N«^^- 
 w"" *?« fifth year on, their gromh is .3 ^}"T^ *"*•"« *''» "t^er types, but 
 older Newfoundland herrings fre therefo?o7a-.^r l^'^'^K^^t ''"' »*^" ^ea^ The 
 dalen Island, and they approach without qute^r^«S-'' **! '''."•"*^ f'"*" the Mag- 
 herrings from the Nova Scotian AtkntTc coas 7t ?a * '\ """ "^ t*"* ^^'^'^^ ofd 
 foundland herrmgs that their growth greater even u^^I ^'"1"''*""^.*''= "^ t''^ ^ew- 
 18 the case with the two other tvoea TKoitf J ? ^f' * '"*« Pe"od in life than 
 tively well during the first th^rLryeaKt? ^''"^ """"'^^ «'°- --Pa " 
 IS very small. '""' ^ears. but from then on the rate of growth 
 
 cm 
 
 The Magdalen Mands Tm '» *^'^' "' Newfoundland (N.F.) ...d 
 
yATVRAL HISTORY OF THE BEItRI\a jl 
 
 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 38b 
 
 < 
 
 :m , 
 
 ^fS , r- 
 
 
 50 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 \T^- N 
 
 
 i5 
 
 
 
 > 
 
 ^ 
 
 y 
 ''''' 
 
 ^^ 
 
 
 ■ D 
 
 
 m ^ 
 
 
 !• 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 '/^ 
 
 
 
 
 
 1, 
 
 5 
 
 / * 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 t( 
 
 
 ■/ — 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 c 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 V 
 
 / 
 
 J- 
 
 
 
 
 
 J 
 
 
 
 
 lj 
 
 tiUlbl iC 5 4 5 6 f 8 ^ 
 
 AtUntic ^u'of tZZx a ,"'" """•'* ''""^""' '" ""f-"' -ars cf he.i„g» f„... 
 
 The Dogger Bank. Southern North sS.Td')'^' "' ^"""^ ''^•' ""'' 
 
 coast of Ireland is th7gro";=t tt TrT bei J 1 " ''T the Atlantic open 
 
22 
 
 ''^''^«TMB!,T OF TBg y^y^^ 
 
 ill 
 
 I ill/ii; 
 
 SERVlog 
 
 Ireland and those fr^mZ^ r'^f-'^ '" ^"'^t''. betwecrthe a1 /•"'""u ""^'"^^^ "'«' 
 from the west coast of^XW »'"!, ""^ *«'" «>«-'t herri„« f xr" '^'"''"'^^ 'r""" 
 
 PTS- '"^" ^'•"'n Ireland and Nova 
 
 Scotia 
 very 
 
 These two types ha\^ ti° " ^^"^'f*'™ Inlands (M) w^h tL n "''? ''"""• F.>. 10 
 .voarf. is vorv V«r- J """/"'"e characteristic in o->„ ' , °°«^*"' ^ank hnrri.,- m^ 
 
 * in later jears of life. ^KK*-"- bank herring gro-v less than 
 
23 
 
 IfATURAL BISTORT OF THE HERRINO 
 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 38b 
 
 West C Jt'oi X.,r^'r,y ^ "" ^^^^'^ '""^"^ '" '^■'^--" V-" "f herring, fro.„ 
 
 West Coiwt of Newfoundland (N F ) 
 
 the three types from the European sde- d.e rifs Tth VnV' ^'/ '^'''"'' ^'- 
 
 American side. All these normal scales ar.wlr!l J^ ' ^' ^.' ^""^ *' ^'°™ ^^^ 
 
 above (text to fig. 5), that the verticTdt,f«n. "''°','^'"'' *° *^" ^'^'•'' -^^^^'bed 
 to the margin of the scale n alTthe draw n^f'' " *':f "'"^^ °^ ^^'^^ ^"^^^ '"'« 
 the fish when nine years of age while the^owH '''"''^'''^ *° '^'<^ -'"««« length of 
 of the types in the'respeotivT;^; (yeaTofg^owTh "'"""' ^'^ ''''''''' '''^"^^ 
 
 "^ '=°™P«"8?n of these normal scales will clearly show a m«rUp,1 ^.-ff 
 of growth and in manner of growth betwoon the diScn " tv^ f f""^- "" '"^ 
 further, the great resembla.ice between the two serief Ar . ^'^^^''i •"''^ '"'^ '""^' 
 between the Newfoundland herring :nd the iLgd «„ EdTeS/ l\^'^'«-''- 
 stance is very important as both those tv,m« of Jm^l , *Jerring. Thia eircum- 
 
iiiji 
 
 ' ' ', ' 
 
 MM 
 
 Hi 
 
 M 
 
 DEPAXTMSyr OF ^BB VAVAL SERVICE 
 
 the Magdalen Island herrings a few i.Ai.A , ' °^°''°^ "' ^^ '"" 
 
 icrtT ^ 
 
 35 
 
 The Do J:«i^„\ ^~-^: oTSCut ''«^'™' -»" °' !;r"«- '-■» 
 
 characteristic that thev .mm^^- * I , ' ^"^M-Wdalen Islands (M.) 
 
 those areas of t," - ^^t t ^rf ^'TiSrtt"'^ ^^ ^'^^ °''--- ^^ 
 mt«mu„glo to a greater or «n,all dJ^ilmJf-^.'^^"^ ^^"'"»« '"eet or 
 the extent of the intermixing betwSX 11^1^ Tf^""' '^^^^^'^' to ascertain 
 bu .on and migration of the differl^tvpes TlT ^^ *^^' ^- ^^^ "'^^ °^ '^'«*"- 
 v.do the most excellent eonditionsTor Tnmtigatfofr „Vf.- \^T" •'^" ^^'"^ *° P'o- 
 The eompar son between the j;« ""f^'^'^^tions of this kind. 
 
 raises the ,Ltion" " wLTcl fd t^r^fro 1^'""* "^''''^ ^ ^-« *"-J to draw, 
 vanat.on in the different types u herri,'?" T , '"r*"^""* ^°' developing this 
 questions like these can onl/le solSbf test! and °'''^''*' '' ^"^ '^ «'«" that 
 have never been made .and they mav not hf ! ""'^/^Pe^'nents. Such experiments 
 nee^sary to overcome great technTe^rdiffi^ireri:',^ T T' '"*"'^- ^^-^ ^e 
 
 .hie. the different type. ..^ ^UZ^^:^^ ^ ^^^^^^^ 
 
JfATVRAL BISTORT OF TBE BKRSiyo 
 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 38b 
 
 25 
 
 Fl^/» 
 
 Fi<^. B 
 
 V>g. n. Two «enP« of normal «..Ie, of herring,. The left «,ries fro„> th. watern of Northern 
 
 A w . ,„ *;"'*l*- ^'■«- "ght series from North Ainericat. waters. 
 
 A. Norwepan Went Coan- r, -.ir^n f.^,, , . , ,, ^ 
 
 C. Dogger Bank. ^ ZT1,^\ ^- ^wf,„ncll.nd. 
 
 E. Atlantic Coa«, of l™l. 1 1 r ! /v . 
 
 ' tiantic Coaat of Nova St^Kiu. 
 
26 
 
 OEPAHTilEXT Of THE SAVAL SERVICE 
 
 f- \ 
 
 \:V'i 
 
 the urcu of the goa i« which we h« K^ ' QEORQE V, A. 1918 
 
 ■Ihe two areas must therefom Jt, J "^ *° ^"^^ '»» 'n t le gulf of St r 
 
 difficult to ascertain t prSe't as li«? TT ^ '''"^ different to wha "ext^TtT" 
 
 Ku f conditions of the Ztit .Wo f^L rh-^"'^ ^^ '^'-'""•^ *^° -"diti^^r » he 
 of the reasons for my nrono=«l ♦ "^7?^ ^"^ni a biological point of view Tl • • 
 
 It .nay in this connection brof 1 ''" ■"^"^'■V'.'tions have Ixx-n n,7dc 
 
 ^rent n,,rnt,er of individuals lU, ;i„^\^ti:i 1' •"' " '""f P"^''*'"" *« invLtt;^ 
 of nr Hnntsm.,. had the opportun^; of'^.S!;-.;'"*;'"-' *'>-"^'>. the .indl 
 hff. 12 IS from a fish with seven rin^r, ,n,J„!r ? " ^'^'^ •''PcciM..n8. The snlo 
 
 0..tano (at Port Credit) in the fa ^of 19 3 „ ad '"'"^oT- "^''^ '^^»' -- "augh i„ ,£ 
 different periods of ,.o.th werelf Jol": ..J^nrr'Tr/Tf - ^^'^ '"'-"!^^' 
 ". 1, -->. J. J.J.,, jf ,,. , ^ observe! tl, ^ 4.1 ■ ' ' '■■^- '. ^^ ' 1 'D.-' I 
 
 blaiice to the Magdalen Island andX itL"pn^''' ■"''-'•*-" -aH<;d\^^;^^^^^^^^ 
 during the first years of life and a tJ.v'^sltTst^rntt'Sh ■''{• ^ ^"''^ --"^ 
 3. THE FUrCTL.ATIO..S IX THK^rK.R.CMrsp'r ""' 
 
 classes t"hanV'ev1oX''hS"l^!;rsuJrosU".„T''^ """''"'■ °^ '"'^''' 
 
 iil) : 
 
yATVSAL aiBTORY 01 TBB BBRRINO 
 
 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 38b 
 
 27 
 
 2. That the relative numerical value of the*e year-clas^ exhibit* «rreat 
 ttiietimtiorn from year to year. o»niiJiig great 
 
 Kii{. 12. \ Hculfof a -jieciiiiuii of /'.»«.). 
 p"".', /""'.""";■'■"""' IWiLs-.x; t.ik..n c.ft- 
 1 |Mt(.re<lit, Lakf Ontario, in ;h.' F;ill l!ll» 
 I he, call, ,« drawn in th" saiiii- n.iiKniHca- 
 turn ax tl].> niirnial acilfs of hg 11 
 
 u M^ rt,„t hs ,cs to a ^uuilur exanni.ati.,n. a.i.l to such a survey as that universally 
 ado ,d for the study ot the hu.nan population (the vital stati. cs of a p lati^" 
 S .. ';,; L"-'-;'^''''-''^^ =" *'- n.-*^-ti"« of the I„ternatio„al Council for the Study o the 
 w.rH V ™''''''^°."!-^'J «'^ »"rn>ulate the programme for thi.s work in the follow a 
 
 ri s .".iS ?r";""'^ "[•'••; ^•-"^'.'r °^. ^•'*"' ■^*"*'^»'-'' *»>«- -« three prolii;.? 
 
 (? mTJ io.^ 1 • "V"^ "ons.dorat.on: ,1) birth-rate; (I') age, distribution; 
 
 ) migration. It ,s customary to study these .„„.stiuns by the help of what are 
 
 •ali.^ representation statistics. A certain number of in.iiv duals ar^ selected who 
 
 V. n'r:'. %1"h '" '" 'T-"' ''^ "^■""'^'- '""' ""*^"^'"" '^ <iirecL!ito thl 
 W, ascertain from this source their average length of life, tlicir wan.lcrin-'s their 
 
 ncrease or decrease, and whether sickness, war, disaster, or ,.n,i.r n pfliys any 
 appreciable part ,n reducing the population. It seems at first sigl.t a bol.l surest In 
 
 propose studying the fish supply on lines like these. A population can ^0' Ued 
 It who knows how many fi.shes are in the sea? And yet, it appears to me a p oject' 
 
 big with possibility, to regard the discoveries of fishery research from T "tail .fn 
 similar to t at which has been adopted in the science of' vital stalistTc"" ''"'"* 
 
 wm IZ T A "I ?''?" *'?'■ ''"■*'^''S^""'« the stock of fishes along lines like these 
 will best be understood by the consideration of examples of what has beci Lc.^ 
 
 1 s.ed already Before I try to describe the first few investigations of the sto^^of 
 erring rom the Canadian wofers. I will in spite of tlie risk of being oblig'/laVgeW 
 
 to repeat my previous publications, first give a short review of some ,. the res^Us 
 obtained through the study of the herring fisheries of Norway. I ha e pre^Tous Iv 
 
 ea off ft V ^Z':"'fT "'"'*• •" '^^ ^^■"^^' "'"""ff tf-" islands, and in the oZ 
 ^ onftll h ?r'- ^ fi^l'^'ne" "«e nets and seines, stake-nets which are ancho^ 
 
 tho sh r /I °"\'"' '■''^' ''' "'«^*- '^^^ ''"'^' «"t "ff the shoals, either a loLg 
 
 1,he shore fshore-se,nes^ or at some little distance from land (pur.se- eine) The 
 
 ^uiv difr!: ?" '^ "'t"' T^ °^ ^^^' "'^'■""'"^'"^ *" '^-^ -iJt^ of mesh, 3 n i, vwfh 
 f^.h e.xpe<.^.d to he caught. The seines are of fine mesh, and can fre.,uently take ali 
 herrings down to 7 or 8 cm. in length. It is very rarely, however thtT jl i.es o 
 
 £"s "f ZZl i" "" "1 ^' T" '""S ^'''^ " '^"'' '" *•■" f-t'thaf th"d «: e^ 
 sue^of f|sh move ..i^p^rate s^ioak apart^om one aether. There uvo thus many 
 
 ' See my paper quoted above. - 
 

 • '*^''^''^^^^T OF TBE SAXAL 8EHTWK 
 
 different kind, of herring fi,hin» carried on in tK- v • * '"°'"** ""' *• '"* 
 
 ent « «.ru » of herring'.,. ^^^S. 3000,^^^?'" "'*•"' ""' '^""^ -"«'■ 
 different ihoaU. Thew lorts hav« »^ i. ?*.^ *"* ■'*« =»«•» eoir:nio. ;n th* 
 
 trade. f«,„ .5,, i-n.emS.Sa'^a "aT^n^of LT' ^«;»'«-- -:: fn tt 
 to the question of dividing them aecSir TrT^^ !•" "f*^ •*"*^ ^^ *««» devoted 
 . The fi^heor -tatistic, distinguTh fouf pl^^!!""""^ """'^^ »' aawrtment 
 nng arge herring, and spring herring "tSrl "^T ' T»" ''""''«• ^«t her- 
 •peak.ng. four different kinda of he«h.g fish "I coC'^' ]" ''""T"'''''' P'-'^t'"'"' 
 and differing, not only as regards the a-th^l ; **""P°''d"W ^ these four classes, 
 of place and time; these beinJcariS^^f??,! '"'""'" ^"^'^^^^ ^"» «!«' in poS 
 te coastal waters, and at diffe^UrilroMhfyer'irth' " '"^r"' '^^^-^ "^ 
 
 WMtCoMt 
 
 RumMUl 
 Trondi'lamn . . . 
 
 NordUnd^ 
 
 Tromao-Uiatiiot 
 rinmarken 
 
 but in incrersing'SerfSe'; to tle^nStr^tLt *^^**' -^^ «^*»'^ *»>« --»' 
 peater ,«rt. within the range from Tmndwt • ^ f * J^""** •"« ^^'^^n- ^y far the 
 herrings of the coasts of tl^R^Z^ll^ZZ^ ^r^.'^.^'T '^'''''•'' *•>« ^'"^^ 
 the greater part of the spring herring a™ tX ™ Trondlijem district, while by far 
 
 The small herring do not ex3 i^^Jft- »'" *^^ 7"^^ "^"^ ^"t*"'*-- 
 19 cm. The ovary or milt is atX^u L?f T""*? -vl ^'''^^' '^^^ ^"'^ ''<"» 8 to 
 «pine; in point of fatness th;y are fa, Srio, f T^\' "t » *'''" *^'««<1 ^^low the 
 tions have shown that they ^long to the Th^I. !, ^'* ^T''^' ^K« determina- 
 
 The fat herring vary as a rule! 2^9 to^'aVcei^J"."^^.,? *^" *^° «"» year-classes, 
 organs of the lesser fish are very smSl iSr/'^ ^ ? *° '''* •"'''^^^' ^^« »«»it«l 
 ;n the case of the larger. The adiZe dcoo^ >, ***'^«'°P'»«nt being noticeable 
 mtestines (" ister,") is much more d^^elopTth' T'"' V^^^'"'^ ""'^ '"""^ ^^e 
 determinations have shown that the fn? W • "^ °*''*^'' ''^«^ "^ herring. Age 
 
 The large herring are superiofii'Ltrun^Z ZTY/''' t°" ' *" « ^^^^ «" 
 their genital organs are. from tTe autumn in ? ^•'"" f '" ^' °«"timetres; 
 maturity. In the course of this devcloJmenTth ' ," '"^'"^ development towards 
 rn quantity. a„d the fish finally paTby S-entibfcT' *'''""' ^."'^"^"^ ''^"^"^^ 
 herring, which are the spawniL fi,h A^^f !^^ ^''"^^' '"*" ^^^ ''l'>«8 "f spring 
 
 firm, in February and Mar^ "lack andl A f' l""?' '^"^ °"«"^« "« i« J«n"ary 
 being also thin and in poo, co^d^L "Vc^oX tf S'lrr; *'^- '^' "' ^'''^ "»« 
 and spring herrings consist of the oldest fromT^. U "^^^^i^^'n^tions the large 
 
 Small herring and fat herrinTrl T • ^^'^'^"■"W "^h (vide below), 
 herrin, being mat' re. The m«S^ ^s 1"^ ,1^ t'd'^',' ''*' '"'^^ ""^ «P-«^ 
 
 jboaU^off the southwestern coa.^il^ l^^ ^ ^ -f J.^rr4 
 
 after'tttrf of maTy'yt^'yrJi trijlir^"'^ ^^*':^. ^^^ °^ ^"^^ ''-. 
 of the herring in these Norwiianw2e« "^ ^'"'"' '''^'' "^ ^''^ >if« History 
 
yATVKAL BISTORT OF THK HEKRISO 39 
 
 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 38b 
 
 Vig. 13. 
 
 and SSLi r" ^'''" """"'itieB. The Ronital organs are tl.ou devolopi„ff. 
 
 the spawning shoab aggregate at the west coast, where they are r-.ught in gill-nets 
 and somes as spring herring. ^ 
 
 th. ?J't y°""K/'7 "nf'-Soing development in the ova hud on the snndv bottom of 
 the inshore banks ofiF the west coast e8cai>e .soon from the eggs ard aro then c-^rried 
 northward along the coast by the current, which off the whole west coa" has a .n;rked 
 northerly direction the so-called (iulf Stream). They .proad as if ...vn al along the 
 extensive range of the coast, and everywhere these small fish uulergo further develop- 
 ment without question, in northern waters. I„ the autum., when those 'mall frv 
 are 8 to 10 C3ntimetres (below 4 inches), and two-thirds of a year d^th™ leg^ 
 
 r„ •■^1 *^^ !u ''^ ^^" ^^""^ ^''"''^''^ "" abundance of fat, and remain in th-"- state 
 (mainly in the summer and fall) till the genital organs develop,, which a stated 
 above, begins from the third, b„t mostly at the fo„rth or fifth v.ar in the Tu^ 
 and mostly at the fifth and sixth year in the north ' 
 
 .. .!^^^r^T^ individuals then leave the fat herring shoals and begin to migrate 
 
30 
 
 DEPAKTMS^T OF TL . SAYAl StRVlCK 
 
 ■ l<^ 
 
 A . ' QEOROE V, A. 19 le 
 
 what moy he the ca«, in the .tud, of the J , ' ""^T .""'^•"»>>« »'«'«' Contrary to 
 
 to make at any one place or at an/one til "7 P^P"'"*'"" °^ • town or a countr.v) 
 «u«Bciently repre.entative ,o ^rL' ofTJ^m J ; ' ^v"" **'*' '"diviJuaU in the .e. 
 of the maw. In each catch S we flnn'"*^ oond.t.on. a. to the composition 
 with regard to .i«. .nd age ofX bilL^L. '"''"'"';'."'"• :»"'•»" -""y bo rcpn^entntive 
 they belong, but not to tr^iJit^f^trhirS' '""*"" '"'""'^^ '" "'''•■'' 
 
 .iiffereVt%rc:re'^dcat':;r; to citbirTbr":^ '""" i'-^"'^"' •"-'• «' «*»- «t 
 
 were. „ complete picture. Moreo ^r hi. i^7"*'°"' '"'" *"?'^ '^ "' *° '»""• "• ''t 
 Mnndnrd by which to j„,I«e o/ the 1» Jcti« *" ♦r.^"*' ?PO"iWo to find any 
 Kroupa. even though it may ^ Dor^iblo^" ' nuant.tat.vo value, of the different 
 tH-int of «i.e of each ZZLJZk-l^'^^'^ determine the compo.ition in 
 ^rroup. of herring h«ve ho^ v^rZwn that rSt'^'^VV''' ''''*"'"* ^'''°'°'''->> 
 Jnve a most valuable general i.lea of^L v!,i !^ '^''n^ '""" •*"^" *" •«"»" <•«" 
 «nce of the different !ge. t r-c n t: J rthe'd ff 'I'''*'""* '" '*"■ '"^"•""•"■ 
 fat herring and apring herring The c^mS I A /T* ""1"'^= -* '''**>'" ♦»'« 
 (the catcher of the fifhermen) and theTuc^.^f! *'-,u' ''" T^''"^ °' *« ^•^■•'"^ 
 tJ>e n,™,, important gr^upTof hcrrirgB have 7,1? ."'^^'^'^'"^ »°, *»»« year-claMe.. in 
 cause of ffuetuationa in the f5«hcr , U to J "7^"';'.'«'f "» to dom,.n.trato tb.,t the 
 number of individuaU occurrinT rthe 5sh K. '' i" *'" T"' ^^'^^»<'^ion» in the 
 (fluctuations in the yeaS3 "* "' ''*'^^'°^ '" ^J"" 'J'ff««'nt years 
 
 meni^ned" aSv"/ Till IV^nr "rnvsTirt "S' '''' """'^^ '^ "^ »'«'>"-»'- 
 instance found in this direcdon ZZ^U ?^Tu^ *^^ ""** '^'^'''K ""'^ important 
 the shoals of the Noteg^ Sn^ribg *'" '"''*"''*'''" "" '''^ year-classea'^ithin 
 
 f«o:To7915"real^%lrS.":t^^^^^^^^ have b.„ studied in the years 
 catches of the fishermen, and the^e of p^S I'^^^-H" '^"^'«' ^'•''™ t^e seine 
 mined by the metho.^- de^orSd aboT 0^? ^"'"'K "? .t»l« """"Ple has been deter- 
 the percentage of the dXrlT 1 i ^^ ''""* °' **•'* '"'«« ""ount of material 
 
 oulai:! in orfer to get dSf inCmtrnsTTr'"' "•' '''' ""•""'- »>- »-«"-"- 
 year represented by the samrnum4« oTdo Juct^f l"' "'*"" ' "7 ^"^"^"* "^^ -'''y 
 
 The results of all these aeedet^imLi" .'?' '"■''"' ^""» y««' ^o year? 
 fip. 15, where percentage eurVsLsh„Tnf'\'°'/':' ^""' ^"^"l* "« »i^-«>" ^n 
 IW shows th^ thereTere n hTsVear L LTh„n fi*'%r^^ ^-T" ^''^ ""'^^ *- 
 represented year-classes (the 4 to S-vea;-"^ ^h TK ^^'^^ "'^ ""'^ ^"''''^ ^'^"^^ 
 3W>8 by the appearance of a veiy great numW of 7 ^'j^n. proportion is broken in 
 of the curve) which, according^ were boTf^ ♦^ ^'^'::1^ >nd.viduals (the summit 
 all the following years this S-c^II^ Jn-T ♦ • ^^" ^'*"*' ^''^ ^^ year-class. In 
 other year-classel" I^lS the S-v^r Tn ?.1o"th: f"* P'^P?"^r« -- «" the 
 being by far th. most numerous It has W i ,''''!^'"' i" ^^" ^''^ 7-year-old fish 
 herrings in tho ye^rs 10O7 13 wc;e clught ^^h" "T* 'Pi' '^' Norwegian spring 
 taken altogether, and that of th s totel no ll« tT"" r^^f •'•'?.?>«»-'^ individuals 
 
 1-yoa.cIass. the individuals bof" i^^^^ejefim" S' i"'"""^ '"'"".^"^ *<' '"^^ 
 year-class is further believed to have been the L^n. / 'mmense number of this 
 
 spring herring fisheries, which in the V^arslXia T^! V^' ""^ )" '*" Norwegian 
 numbers belonged to the spawning sSwn! ^Z T '^^ ^^^'"'^^^ in increasing 
 l.'iOO.OOO hectolitres. 'P^^'^^ wheals) mcreased from 625,000 to no less than 
 
 that ^!;isrm"fyr-S?:fh;rrl^ ^^ 'r'^' ^^-^onsUate'a 
 
 herr.„g in the years (1907-10) w"en gS numLm "'".•" '^^ '""°"««* '^' ^^^ 
 class .till were immature and belo^edTVeTa^rerlg^rdt''"'^ "' *''^ ^^"- 
 
VATVKAL BIBTOST Of TBS BKHKIXO 
 
 3t 
 
 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 38b 
 
 Other luvMtigotionn have thcwn that itimilur 6uctuationi in the difforotit year- 
 clai»eii ai»o Uko place in the titoik of hn.ldcwk and cwl. and that t)ie year 1904 had 
 the winie iiniKjrtant influence rtKiirdinK tlieie specie, of iioh. Imraenre numbori of 
 younir «»h were produced which were of the ifroateat importtinco to the Xorwegian 
 fiiiher.es, when they reached the a»fc and sice in which they are cau«ht hy the finher- 
 men. The international iiivo»tiKution» ot the herring fi.horips .f the 
 ^orth Sea (the horrinK of the British coasts) have Ui'n suniniurizwi in the 
 loilowing words: "If we compare thcw ro^uItH with the cinjioHition in point ..f aire 
 of the Norwegian race of herring, we find this similarity, that 1 .th race* exhibit 
 some remarkably rich ycar-clH!='M, not. however, in both chsi.* froi the sanio year. 
 Ihere ts probably also thi* jxpint of difforcnci". that the ri. hmss of flic*. vcur-cIaHKes 
 li more pronoimccd in the case of the NorweRian race than in that of the North Sea 
 ftsh. The fluctuations in the herring fi»hory of the North Sea are therefore slighter 
 tliHii in tho»e of the Norwegian waters." 
 
 From the point of view of the method of investigation, it must be rcgardwl as a 
 most striking and wonderful fact, that it is possible to collect a haniplc. say of some 
 lew hundred herrings, and then to find this ^.umple really giving a representative 
 picture of the composition, with regard to Mze ana ago, of the wh,.l.. stock of incnl- 
 cuiable millions of spawning herring in tl„- sen. As I pointe<l out i-i mv lecture in 
 London, in 1907, before these investigations started, it seemed at first -i bold migges- 
 tion to propose studying the fish supply along lines like these. A population can !« 
 counted: but who knows how many fi«h are in the sea? From the f.-eling of the magni- 
 tude and djfllculty of the task, the scientists who took part in this work hesitated 
 for many years before their definite belief in the representative character of the results 
 grew so strong that they darted to regard the method and the results as sufficiently 
 proved and fully established. 
 
 The essential question which had .to be answered before this belief wn* strong 
 enough to become a scientific Cf.nviction was, of course, this: " flow large .,n i.mount 
 of material was absolutely necessary to afford a representative picture?" ^Xo have 
 during our work started from the poin* of view that no informntion could he obtained 
 regarding this problem purely from theoretical or a priori considerntions. No mathe- 
 matician can calculate the number required for a representative sample of the Nor- 
 wegian spring herring. This number depends above all on the question, how evenly 
 mixed are the different sizes and ages in the stock of the spawning shoals, and the 
 answer to this question can only be given through scientific tests and experience, 
 that 18, through the comparative study of a number of different samples. In mv paper, 
 often mentioned in the foregoing pages, I give the data for such a comparative study. 
 Keferring the reader to these facts, which since the paper was published, have been 
 very much extended. I will here confine myself to one example, the result of the 
 analyses of the samples of spring herring from the year 1014, as fr- ns the 1904 year- 
 class is concerned. In 1914 seven samples of spring herring were collected containing 
 in all 1.93.3 herrings. The samples were collected from places along the west Nor- 
 wegian coast, some places several hundred miles apart. Along all this distan.c tl,e 
 spring herring were spawning. The analysis gave the following result, .ns fnr ns the 
 1904 year-class is concerned. 
 
 Number of individuals 
 in the mmples. 
 
 175 
 306 
 44 
 565 
 SM 
 289 
 201 
 
 Avflrage 276 
 
 PtTCcntafre of year-class 
 IMH. 
 
 52 fi 
 
 •)K-4 
 
 (i2 a 
 
 60.7 
 ."iO 2 
 61 2 
 
 Average 678 
 
UKrAMTIIKXT Of TB AVAL MMMVIVM 
 
 I f 
 
 m, 
 
 • OlOPIOt V. A, t*t« 
 from oth« «.u^e.. {i^'tiL fhU yco' """''• '"''* ''■" '^" "'"•'•"^ 
 
 ■ample. cntaminR « few hundrH (even forty-four) inUiridu.U will . ffl^ i 
 
 ^yiJ 6 7 4 i ,1, I'l li ,i ,i li 4 ,', ,i 
 
 8 9 10 II IJ 13 l<. 15 16 17 18 
 
 ^'■'^'-^^^^'s.::s.i£-,twv:?,'j::^<s^%.^^S. 
 
 •veragv 
 
 1 Aecordlnir to Information sent me from Mr. Einar Lea. — ~~ 
 
••< wer» 
 •tained 
 
 I thii: 
 <1 that 
 many 
 Minted 
 ■o«iiion 
 
 ■ 
 
 " 
 
 isti- 
 the 
 tive 
 
 the 
 ing 
 
 KATvnAf. ninrnny nr rnn nKKnixa n 
 
 UniONAL PAPER No. 38b 
 
 the mntprmi cilliH-tid fn.ni th<< Ctttiailinn wiitow. Tho nnit<Tiul i^ naturally not •« 
 t'Xbiitiio It* tlu! nmiifiiil fr..in Norllitrn Kiin.ii««. wlirr.' iiivi-«iKatii>nN havn bwn 
 parriiMl utit fi»if u nTiuii of yooni. Tim ('umi<liuh niati>riiil i» h\»„, f»r ntlicr n'a*iiM. 
 leiM n-liahln than tho Noru.(fimi niut<>riiil. For <>xii>ii|ili>, whiln nioNt of tlw Nor- 
 wnffiau mutt'riul lia« Utm t^,lhiU-i\ from ciitfliiN im?'.. Ii.v wiiu* (-liori-«iiin'* uml 
 purw5-ic«ini»), all nhe* of h.-rrinu |.r.«.iit in tlio kIi.' I Muu c-itptiinil. fhr CiihiMliun 
 material It colli^'t«l from nitili.-s mmif l..v »till-n. .. of l.irif.. nir>.li..M (IJ to U-inrh 
 ineahea), whii-h may h-t tlir..uj{li n Knnt nmiiy of th<> «riiiill)>r in.lividuiiln. It will 
 therefore be nwi-Kmiry for tlif I'Iuiiihu oxin-tlition IhpIIi to i-olh-K-t more rxton^ivi 
 material ami to Imvu ••olli-ition* mu(l« by nwiin* of «|icfiully arriniRi-tl N>i|iiiiir experi- 
 ment!. 
 
 Aa an oricntutioij of tlip problt-m^ b.'foro us it miitlit. h.iw.'v.'r, \<o n.lvii.nM«-. with 
 •II poMible rcBorvution, to con«i(l»'r tlio data which hiivo Ix-en obtained by ti.i- annly- 
 aia of the material alrcndy before ui. 
 
 % 
 
 M 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 40 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 30 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 to 
 
 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 r 
 
 ' 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 fO 
 
 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 y 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 
 \ 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 
 Y«ay« 5 6 7 8 
 
 10 M 12 13 14 15 16 r7 
 
 J 
 
 Fig. 15. CompcMition in point of nge of »pHn(r herring fToni We«t Cowt of Newfoundland (M»y, 1914. ) 
 
 We will then, first of nil, direct attention to the analysis of some samples from the 
 west coast of Newfoundlai.d. These herrings were, it will be remembered, in several 
 mipocts, in the characteristics of their growth, very much like the Norwegian herrinRS. 
 We should therefore also expect a similar composition with regard to age. 
 
 On the west coast of Newfoiindiaml. hcrrimra are caupht in the sprinir. in the 
 summer, and in the fall. The spring herrinjrs are large, with mature roc and milt, and 
 they are the spawning shoals and correspond to the Norwegian spring herring. The 
 
 88h-3 
 
34 
 
 nKPARTMKflT OP THE JfATAL SER7WS 
 
 P GEORQE V, A. 1016 
 
 lierring spawning souson iocn.s eve ,. in the Riilf of St. Lawrence to be in May, 
 
 that IS about two months later " iu ,. ... ^n on the Norwegian west coast. In the 
 summer some fishinR is going i , tiu- I, r The catch consists, according to infor- 
 mation obtained tliroiiffh convt t;. , .„ fishermen, of smaller herring, which are 
 used as bait only. Tlie fall fishing is a very important one, large herring schools 
 approaching the coast and entering the bays. This herring is large, with the sexual 
 organs developing. They correspond thus entirely to the " large " herring, which are 
 caught in Norway late in the fall. 
 
 Table No. 8.— Sample of Herring from Newfoundland (West Coast) about beginning 
 
 of November, 1914. 
 
 •:p 
 
 IVro-ntaKe of Uitfurent Ages in the Sample. 
 
 5 
 
 U 
 09 
 
 7 
 
 8 
 80 
 
 9 
 24K 
 
 10 
 
 " 
 
 12 
 
 13 
 
 14 
 
 9 
 
 44 2 
 
 16-8 
 
 27 
 
 09 
 
 
 
 
 rs 
 
 Table No. 9.— Sample of Ilirring from Newfoundland (West Coast) about beginning 
 
 of November, 1914. 
 
 TercLntage of Different Agra in the Sampleii. 
 
 3 1 
 
 7 8 9 
 
 21 83 
 
 21 
 
 3 1 
 
 10 
 
 18-8 
 
 11 12 
 
 43 8 5 2 
 
 13 I 14 
 
 2 1 10 
 
 16 
 
 2 1 
 
 16 
 
 62 
 
 17 
 
 10 
 
 18 
 
 10 
 
 19 
 
 30 
 
 10 
 
 Ihc two tables S and !» give tho results of the analysis of two samples of herring 
 from the westcoast of Newfoundland, one sample (table 8) was taken in the spring 
 another (table !)) in Uie fall of tho year 1914; in all. the ages of several hundred her- 
 rings have been determined from this part of the gulf. A comparison of samples will 
 hrst of all reveal the important f;ict that very few of the younger year-classes have 
 been caught. This is especially the case in the samples taken in the spring (table 8), 
 where practically no herring under 8 years are found. In the fall a little admixture 
 of 5, 6 and 7-year old fish was found in two of the three samples (table 9). 
 
 This fact may bo explained in one of two ways: either the spawning shoals of tho 
 west coast of Newfoundland, in tho year 1914, consisted only of the older year- 
 classes represente<l in the samples, or the younger year-claases were present but 
 not caught by the large meshes of the fishermen's gill-nets. Which of these two 
 explanations may be the right one cannot be decided with any definite certainty. 
 For my own part, I am mostly inclined to the belief that the younger year-classes iii 
 the year 1914 were not very plentiful. I base this belief, which I do not wish to be 
 regarded as anything more than a suggestion, on the fact that some of the samples 
 contain individuals of the younger year-classes, but in small numbers; further, on 
 my inspection of the fishermen's nets, which varied very much with regard to size of 
 the meshes; and, in addition, the fishermen's statement, that there were but few 
 herrings of smaller size this year, 1914. In the discussion of this question, a great 
 need is felt of investigations as to the age when the Newfoundland herring fiwt 
 
IfATDKAL BISTORT OF THE HERRINO 39 
 
 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 38b 
 
 reach maturity. No definite informntion (vuiM be obtninol as to t!iis. and it must 
 therefore be left to future invcstidatioiis. \vli<>u the nc.'cssnr.v facts in ttiis rrspo.'t 
 can be collected. From the exiwrioncc ol)tain.'cl tliroiiKh tlu; Kiir..p<-.iii iiiv..stipntinns 
 It must be assumed that the two tyiK-s of hrrriiitrs, wliirh l,„v,. s,> iini.li rcstMublaiu-c 
 as to their rate of growth, may also reach their maturity at iiboiit tlic same a"-o. If 
 this is so, it must further be supposed tliat tlie spawiiiiiir sciiods off the Xcwfouiul- 
 land coasts in some years, in any ca-c. must < .;isist o<" iarfro huiiiImts of Mnallcr and 
 younger (4-, 5-, and 6-year-old fish), wf-> :. •■ . ,nv:> oxtmt miisf 1;,, ihrondi the 
 fishermen's nets and thus cscajv from bo k, cmi^'lit. Tin. , ,int. whidi o'.viou.ly b;is 
 great theoretical and practical importai ■ iioiild i... I< , , i,, view in .iny further 
 scientific researches, as well ns in practit I fi hinfr cNp.Tii cnts, snch as will nndiMil.t- 
 edly have to be made in future. It woi i ; i- of u'-^-.H interest if su.-h eNperimrnts 
 could be made, during the coming spriufr. 
 
 Wo will now, with all the precaution and reservation innniclintrly aiMsina from 
 the considerations just urged, again regard tlie two tables (s an<I !i) ;ni.l e-piei.illy 
 draw attention to the comparison of the Hfrures of the i.eiceritii/e for tlic older yenr- 
 classes, which are represented in the sanii)Ies in great numbers. 
 
 n*M« S 6 7 8 9 10 II 12 ]3 14 15 J6 
 
 17 18 Id 20 
 
 Fig. Ifi. CompiMition in point of afje of fall herrint? from Wnst CoaKt <;f Nt'wfoundland (Rlnnit 
 lieKinning of November, 1914). 
 
 It may also be of interest to compare the two figures, l.') and l(i. which are drawn 
 on the basis of the figures contained in table 8 and ft. It will then bo st^en that the 
 spring herring (table 0) for the greato-t part eonsiste<l of tlirrt> y.ar-elnss<>s. tlie 0-, 
 10-, and 11-year old herring. among.st which the lO-yoiir-old. born iii the year 1it04. pre- 
 dominated to such an extent that alniutl half (44 per cent) of tlie total nnmltor of the 
 individuals in the samples belonged to this single year-class. We have thus here 
 agrain established the fact that great fluctuations occur in the number of the diflPerent 
 year classes. Spawning schools of the Newfoundland lierrin-r re>enili!e nl-o in this 
 respect the spawning schools of the Norwegian spring herring. 
 
DEPARTMEyr OF THE yAVAL SERVICE 
 
 I 
 
 6 GEORGE V, A. 1918 
 Still greater interest will bo attached t.. tliis fact if we now compare the two 
 tables 8 an.l !». W hilo in the table H the }•-. 10-. ,,.,.1 11-. and cs|K><iallv the lO-year-old 
 henntr w.w tlu- do.ninant, we find ii. tlie «u,i|.I... „( UhU- li a prciH.n.l.'.rane.^ ..f'the 10-. 
 and ll-.vcar-nhl iMTrnifrs with a n.ark.il i.n..l,„„iMan<-c amongst these vear-elaxses 
 of tl,e ll-.vwr-.Id herri.M's. The saniph-s ef the table !• were colle.-"to<l in the 
 fall (about beginnwiR of November. ]!>M). The two series of herrings, that of table 
 8 aiid that of tabic !) wore both, it is true, canifht in the same calendar year, 1914, 
 but the series, nevertheless, belonged to two diffcrciit ixricds of growth, to two different 
 winter seasons. From tlie explanation of tbo inoth.Kls of investigation here employed 
 (see above, especially fig. 1), it will bo romonil.crr.l tliat the growth of the herrings 
 exclusively takes place during .summer, from April to September (inclusive). This 
 holds good for the west coa.st of NorwMy, under the hydrograpbic conditions there 
 prevalent. In tlie gulf of St. Lawrence the winter conditions last till late in May (a 
 factor being the melting of tlie ice in the giilf). the si.awning season of the fi.sb is 
 therefore some niontlis later there than in the Xorw(.gian waters, and tlie growth of 
 the fish is limited to a somewhat different part of the year. In May the wFnter ring 
 IS .still at the margin of the herring scales, and in November a new winter ring has 
 been formed outside of the winter ring of tlic montli of Ma.y. The individuals which in 
 May had ton winter rings on their s«-al<'s would therefore in the period from Nov- 
 ember, 10U, to :May. lOl"). have eleven rings marked on the scales. The two tables, 8 
 and 0, then-fore reveal an instance of the same facts wliieh were d«>moiistrat6d for the 
 Norwegian spring herrings (see fig. 14'i that the predominance of the same year-class 
 can be followed from one season to the other, as the same individuals again return 
 to their own spawning areas. It is most striking tliat the richest year-class was that 
 of 1904, the same .vear which produced sucl^a rich sto<'k of herrings in Norwegian 
 waters. Tho far-reaching importiviieo of this eorros]V)nd<Mice lietween the two stocks 
 of herring on both sides of tho Atlantic makes it still more necessary not te draw 
 any definite inclusions from the comparatively -mall material which hitherto has 
 been investigated. The reading of the Xewfoundlai.d scales is not easy. I have, 
 therefore, felt the desire to compare my readings with tho-c of ■^rr. Paul Bjerkani 
 and although we agn^e in our investigations of tho sample- mentioned here, I think 
 it right to n>ser%e any further discussion of the interesting problems which immediately 
 arise from this study, till the whole material lias lieen worked out. So much may in 
 any ease be said, that tho samples have shown, that great flucttiations take place, 
 and that future investigations must lie carrii^l on. if the understanding 
 of tho importa,nt biological and practical conditions of the herring fisheries 
 of the Amoricm waters is ever to be obtained. The expedition of the 
 mming soasoi will, of course, have chiefly in view the continued observa- 
 ticns upon these conditions. The Newfoundland herring forming my material are 
 entirely confined to samples from tho spring and fall schools, all of which arc large ' 
 mature fish. As far as I have been able to ascertain, no fi.shing takes place with the 
 object in view of catching the younger, tho " fat" herring. Only some few barrels of 
 younger herring are caught in the bays for u.se as bait. Where then are the sizes of 
 herrings which correspond to the Norwegian small and fat herring? Are the.v, as is 
 tho '•ase along the Norwegian coast, mainly confined to some special areas of tlio coast 
 or of the open waters in or outside the gulf? Do they anywhere occur in such quan- 
 tities and under such circumstances that a new fishery could be developed? That the 
 younger stages of herrings in any case must occur in larger quantities than the larger 
 and older ones is quite clear. It may be that tho younger .vear-classcs are less numer- 
 ous Ml a special .year or shorter .scries of years (fig. 14), but during a longer tieriod 
 of years it is evident that older herring must be .so much reduced in number in com- 
 parison with the younger individuals, that tho deatli-rato of the species will diminish 
 tlieir minilwr. From our study of tbo growth of tho Newfoundland herring it is evi- 
 dent that tho 3. 4, 5 and 8-year-o!d herring, which to a larger or smaller degree may 
 belong to the immature "fat" sboals, must possess the principal qualities of the No^ 
 
NATURAL HISTOHT OF THE HERRINO Zt 
 
 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 38b 
 
 weitian fut hcrrtiiff wliich in Nurwuy ure vuuKlit in liuiulruds uf thousunds of barrels 
 (if. the table piiRe iiH). TIhtc sccnis to Im- ii viist Held fur the nn'st iiitcrestiuff seien- 
 tific and priK'tieiil invctitlKiitidiis in the sulutimi of t.'iese (|iic.-<tions. 
 
 Table No. 10.— Saniiik.s of Herring from Uulf of St. J.awrenee, Ma.v, 1914. 
 
 Number 
 of 
 
 Sample. Individiiala 
 in 
 Sample. 
 
 Q.. 
 
 M. . 
 
 13 
 U>1 
 
 I'«rcfntage uf Differfnc Ariii in tlx.' 8uui|il«<. 
 
 !l ;(] Iti 3 4 7 W) ? 2 3 7 
 7 :) 13 •> 10 B I.') 2 n 
 
 i}' — Northumbfriand Strait. 
 M — MnKdal.n Inlnnili. 
 
 Table 10 gives a summary of the ixireentage of the different ages in two samples 
 from the soutliern part of the gnlf of St. Lawrence, of wliieh tlie one sample has 
 already been treated in table 5. We find in this table many more year-classes repre- 
 sented than amongst the samples from Newfoundland, the younger, 4 and ■'i-year-old 
 fish being more represented. There is, further, not sucli a strc iig'y marked difference 
 to bo observed between the year classes. No single year-class has so much as half of 
 the individuals of the wiiole sample. (See table 10.) 
 
 The 10-year-old herrings, wliich i>lay(d such a gn'at ruli' in the XewfouudJand 
 material, are only very few amongst these herring from the soutliern part of the gulf. 
 We find, on the other hand, a marked preponderance of the 11-year-old herrings 
 amongst these gulf herring. There is then no correspondence with regard to the pre- 
 dominance of certain year-classes bp*'v- <?n the Newfoundland and the Magdalen 
 Island herrings, just as there is no c deuce, in this respect, betweiMi the herrings 
 
 of the Norwegian coast and the sh id the liritish Islands. Tluse different 
 
 types live, each of them, under spcci, ..tions, not only as rcjr;irils their growth 
 
 but also as regards the renewal of tlieir stock. The .Magdalen Island herring have 
 also this in common with the North Sea herring, that the fluctuiitious in the year- 
 classes arc smaller than in the Norwegian and the Ncwf uiudland herring. 
 
 Between the two samples (table 10) there is jiii interesting ditTcrcnce. The 
 Magdalen Ishmd sample consists of older individuals than the sample from the inshore 
 Northumberland strait. It will be ue<'essary to investigate this more closely and to 
 ascertain if this difference is due to the metluid of fishing or to some peculiarity in 
 the life-history of these herring. 
 
 My material contains no sample of youn- r, immature herring, fmm the southern 
 area of the gulf. It is, in this cimnectioi interest to note that Mr. .1. .1. C'owie, 
 
 from the experience of his fishing e.x])erinients, has drawn attention to the occurrence 
 of schools of younger herring in the gulf, which he compares with the Scotch 
 ''Matjes." From the investigations of the growth of these herring of the gulf it 
 should bv aniicipateil that the smaller and younger herring of this ty|)e must be very 
 similar to the young N.'itli Sen herring, and the indications given by Mr. f'owie will 
 bo of the great(-t iiilerest fur furtlicr ipvestig.Ttinns. 
 
" OBPARTMBJIT or TBS VAVAh UtRVWa 
 
 6 GEORGE V, A. 1S16 
 Table No. n.-Samp le* of Herrings from Atlantic Coa.t of Nova Scotia. Fall, 1914. 
 
 Sample. 
 
 A... 
 K.. 
 
 Numlwr 
 
 of 
 Iniiividualii I 
 
 in 
 Skill pie. 
 
 HO 
 135 
 
 PercenUgH of Diffnivnt AgM in .Sample. 
 
 A. YounR immature h..rrlng, from Halifax harbour. 
 ** ap.twnm); Lockeimrt. 
 
 « e"' Ltt I'"" ""/"' ''f^"'. """'"'"^ °"'y y°""«' '""""t"'* herring; samp e 
 ™LfT •'f"'"f ■ °"; '•l" .^*'''""'' '=°''*» °^ N°^« Scotia. I will her; confine 
 myself to simply setting forth figures of the table which have their chief interest 
 
 {ururinrtfgiur'" "" "^ ''"-'^ '^ -'-'- ™«"'"" - »>« -"--^ s