CHAPTER III THE RATE OF GROWTH

to deal with, the determination of k may help us very much. It will be seen, then, that in the case of plaice the ratio of weight to length exhibits a regular periodic variation with the course of the seasons. {101}

Relation of Weight to Length in Plaice of 55 cm. long, from Month to Month. (Data taken from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Plaice-Report, vol. II, p. 92, 1909.)
	Average weight in grammes	Wã₤ãã₤L ÿ£¢ 3 ûã₤100	Wã₤ãã₤L ÿ£¢ 3 (smoothed)
Jan.	2039	1ôñ226	1ôñ157
Feb.	1735	1ôñ043	1ôñ080
March	1616	0ôñ971	0ôñ989
April	1585	0ôñ953	0ôñ967
May	1624	0ôñ976	0ôñ985
June	1707	1ôñ026	1ôñ005
July	1686	1ôñ013	1ôñ037
August	1783	1ôñ072	1ôñ042
Sept.	1733	1ôñ042	1ôñ111
Oct.	2029	1ôñ220	1ôñ160
Nov.	2026	1ôñ218	1ôñ213
Dec.	1998	1ôñ201	1ôñ215

With unchanging length, the weight and therefore the bulk of the fish falls off from about November to March or April, and again between May or June and November the bulk

120