CHOKDKOPTERYGIOUS FISH. 



OF THE STURGEONS IN GENEKAL. 



All the species of Sturgeons are inhabitants of tbe sea, tlioog^ 

 ftome of them occasionally go up tbe wider rivers to spawn. They 

 UTQ of large size, seldom measuring, when full-grown, less tlian three 

 or four feet in length The flesh of the whole is reckoned extrenielj? 

 delicious; and to the inhabitants on the banks of the Caspian Sea, 

 &nd indeed of many other parts both of Europe and America, these 

 fish are very useful as an, article of comme-rce. Their usual food is 

 worms and other fish. 



THE COMMON STURSEOIC. 



The teadrils on the snout of the Sturgeon are three or four inches 



ia length, and have so 

 great a resemblance m 

 form to earth-worms,, 

 tha-t at first sight, they 

 might be mistaken foir 

 such. This c 1 u m s yj, 

 toothless fish, is sup- 

 posed^ by this contri- 

 eoMMON sTu«GEo«. ^^^^^^ ^^ j^ggp himself 



is2 good conditioii, the solidity of his fiesh evidently showing him to 

 \)e a fish of prey. He is said to hide his large body among the weeds 

 joear the sea-coast, or at the noouths- of large rivers, only exposing his 

 tendrils^ Small fish or sea-insects^ mistaking these for real worms,, 

 approach in the hope of obtaining food, and are sucked into the 

 >aws of their enemy. The Sturgeon has been supposed by somo 

 persons^ to root into the mud at the bottom of the sea or rivers ; but? 

 the tendrils above mentioned, which hang from his shout over his 

 m,outhi, must themselves be very inconvenient for this purpose ; 

 as he has no j^ws, he evidently lives by suction, and, during hia 

 residence in the sea, marine insects are generally found in his stomach. 

 At the approach of spring, Sturgeons leave the deep recesses of tl a 

 «ea, and enter the rivers to spawn ; and from May to JuJy the Ameri« 

 caa rive9?3 abound with them. Here they are often observed to leap 

 to the height of several yards out of the water ; this they do in au 

 ereet positioa, falling back again on their sides with such noise, as to 

 be heard in still evenings at a great distance. They have often bceo 

 known, at these tiaues^ to- fall into small boats^ and sink thenx 



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