176 THE STURGEON. 



snout terminating in an acute point, remark- 

 ably flexible and trunklike in its movements. 

 Four barbels dangle from beneath the snout, 

 situated about mid-distance between its point 

 and the orbit. The mouth is underneath, 

 resembling a huge flabby sucker in the freshly- 

 cauoiit fish. Nevertheless, as his habit is to 



o 



prowl about the mud and gravel at the bottom, 

 it is in reality the very best kind of mouth 

 that could have been given. The barbels that 

 hang before are clearly delicate feelers, intended 

 to give warning, that game suitable for food 

 disturbed probably by the flexible nose is near ; 

 the nose is employed to stir up the mud, turn 

 over stones, or in exploring the hiding-places 

 of prey amidst the rocks and heavy boulders. 

 The eyes are small and golden-yellow in the 

 newly-caught fish, but change immediately after 

 death. 



The great extent and strength of the pectorals, 

 which are nearly horizontal, show us that, in 

 addition to their acting as oars and rudder, they 

 are also powerful assistants in bringing the great 

 fleshy mouth to bear upon anything discovered 

 by the barbels. Female fish are taken full of 

 roe in the Fraser during the month of June, and 

 sometimes later ; but where they deposit the ova 



