Article IV.— On a New Skovelnose Sturgeon from the Mis- 

 sissippi River (Plates IV- VII.). By S. A. Forbes and R. E. 

 Richardson. 



In the course of our studies of the fishes of Illinois, made 

 in connection with the preparation of a report upon the ichthy- 

 ology of the state, it became necessary last year to examine 

 greater numbers of the larger species of the Mississippi River 

 than could well be preserved in collections. Consequently, in 

 June, 1904, Mr. Richardson visited for this purpose the fishing 

 grounds at Grafton, Illinois, at the mouth of the Illinois River, 

 and the fish boats at Alton, where the catches from that part 

 of the Mississippi and from the lower Illinois are mainly handled 

 by the firm of Ashlock & Son, long established at that point. 



Mr. H. L. Ashlock of this firm expressed at this time his 

 belief that a distinct sturgeon, known to the fishermen of the 

 locality as the "white sturgeon," was occasionally obtained 

 among the catches of the common shovelnose locally called the 

 "switch-tail," an opinion presently confirmed by the receipt of 

 one specimen of this species and the head of another, brought 

 in by his fishing crews. Seven additional specimens have since 

 been sent us by Mr. Ashlock, all taken in fyke-nets at or near 

 Grafton. # 



The failure of students of American ichthyology to distin- 

 guish this species can be accounted for only on the supposition 

 that specimens of it have never come to their notice, since its 

 distinguishing characters are too obvious and important to have 

 been overlooked. Its uniformly light color, relatively long 

 head, very small eye, sharp and elongate snout, naked brew si 

 and belly, relatively small and numerous dermal scutes, numer- 

 ous ribs, and few-pointed gill-rakers, separate it sharply from 

 the common shovelnose. Its scarcity must doubtless explain 

 its absence from our literature. According to Mr. Ashlock's 

 estimate, about one in five hundred of the shovelnose sturgeons 

 <=>taken in the central Mississippi belongs to this new species, and 



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