1889.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 253 



Acipenser rosarium Dumeril, Hist. Poiss. II. 152, 1870 (Upper 

 Mississippi or Lake Erie). 



Acipenser platyrhinus Dumeril, Hist. Poiss. II. 154, 1870 (Upper 

 Mississippi or Lake Erie). 



Acipenser kirtlandii Dumeril, Hist. Poiss. II. 161, 1870 (Lake 

 Erie). 



Acipenser nertinianus Dumeril, Hist. Poiss. II. 162, 1870 (Mich- 

 igan). 



Acipenser honneymani Dumeril, Hist. Poiss. II. 177, 1870. 



Acipenser Cincinnati Dumeril, Hist. Poiss. II. 221), 1870 (Ohio ' 

 river at Cincinnati). 



Acipenser buffalo Dumeril, Hist. Poiss. II. 231, 1870 (Lake Erie). 



Habitat. — Mississippi valley. Great Lakes, rivers and lakes of 

 Northern North America. 



Etymology. Lat. rubicundus, ruddy. 



This species is found in great numbers in the Great Lakes and 

 waters to the northward, and the rivers of the Mississippi vallev, 

 especially very abundant in the upper lakes. It is a smaller species 

 than those of the Atlantic and has a greater number of lateral plates. 

 They spawn early in June, in the southern end of Lake Michigan 

 near the shore and the mouths of rivers where they remain about 

 two weeks. These are the largest fish of the Lakes. They are 

 taken only within comparatively shoal waters and in some of the 

 bays, and among the islands they are very abundant. Their average 

 length is about five feet, though it is said they have been taken of a 

 length of 9 feet. Their food consists almost entirely of shell-fish. 

 As an article of food they are not generally popular as their meat is 

 too rich in the peculiar flavor of the oil of the fish. Smoking is the 

 common way of preparing it. 



The specimen examined by us was taken by H. S. Bates at 

 Michigan City, Indiana. 



5. Acipenser brevirostrum. Short -nosed sturgeon. 



Acipenser brevirostrum Le Sueur, "Trans. Amer. Phil. Soc. 390, 

 1818 " ; Fitzinger and Heckel, Ann. Wien. Mus. 31 G, 1836 ; DeKav 

 New York Fauna Fish. 345, 1842. (Norfolk. Va. ) 



Acipenser brevirostris Storer, Svnop. Fish. N. Amer. 500, 1846; 

 Giinther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VIII. 341, 1870 ; Jordan and Gilbert, 

 Synop. Fish. N. Amer. 87, 1883 (copied) ; Jordan. Cat. Fish. N. 

 Amer. 13,1885. 



Acipenser obtusirostris Lovetzky, " Nouv. Mem. Soc. Nat. Mus. 

 III. 257, 1533." 



Acipenser microrhynchiis Dumeril, Hist. Poiss. II. 164, 1870 (New 

 York I. 



