THE 



FIRST ORDER OF CHONDROPTERYGII, 



OR THE 



SEVENTH ORDER OF FISHES. 



THE STURIONES, OR CHONDROPTERYGII 

 WITH FREE GILLS. 



Are yet pretty clearly connected with ordinary 

 fish, by their gills, which have but a single orifice, 

 very open, and furnished with an operculum, but 

 without rays to the membrane. 

 It comprehends but two genera, 



Acipenser *, L. (The Sturgeons,) 



Fishes whose general form is the same as that of 

 the squali, but whose body is more or less furnished 

 with osseous bucklers implanted on the skin in longi- 

 tudinal ranges. Their head is cuirassed in the same 

 manner externally ; their mouth, placed under the 



1 Acipenser is their ancient Latin name ; Sturio, from which the 

 word sturgeon is derived, is modern, probably their German name, 

 Stoer Latinized. 



