sriRCiEONS. 



I0r>' 



and KNKif", Imxc a shorter snout, a weaker spine in 

 the ix'eloral fins, smaller dorsal and lateral scutes, 

 with longer hooks than in the males. Of the Sterlet 

 (Ac. n(tlieinis), iiowexer. tiic same writers'' remark tiiat 

 the t'eniales ha\e a. longer, thinner, and more upturned 

 snout and a Hatter forehead. In the eonimon Sturgeon 

 {Ac. sfiirio) we iiave foiuid no perceptihle extci'iial 

 differenee between the sexes, save tiiat the \entral fins 

 of the males are not removed so far hack (hiring 

 oTOWth as tiiose of tiie females, the length of tlie pec- 

 toral tins even in old (more than 1 m. long) males 

 being at least ' - of the distance between the ventral 

 fias and tiie tip of the snout. Tiie males tinis seem 

 to represent the characters of the earh' stages of growth. 

 Of the Hansen too IIeckki. and Kneh' state that the 

 females attain the greatest size. The materials within 

 diu' reacii as well as the recorded tibservations, how- 

 ever, leave much to be desired in our knowledge of 

 the external differences of sex. 



Th(" form of tiie Sturgeons is also influenced by 

 their en\ ironments. "Some forty j'ears ago", wrote 

 GRniM'' in 1S88, "the sterled penetrated through tiie 

 canals into tlie North ihina, and finding tlie condi- 

 tions fa\imrable to its existence (for ex. cold water, 

 wiiich is so necessary for it) it not only settled down 

 Mild miilliplied, but ac(|uired some peculiarities in its 

 exterior (a siiort, blunt snout and an arched back) 

 and also a fine flavour, fcti' which in Petersburg it is 

 prized more than the \'olga sterled. I must remark 

 tliat even in tiie system of the Volga the sterled is 

 much finer in the north (for instance in the river 

 Sheksiia) tiian in the southern parts, and the further 

 south one goes, the less tasty the sterled becomes". 

 Among the Sturgeons, as among the Salmons, certain 

 forms' are sometimes found landlocked in fresh water 

 and unaxdidalily debarred from exchanging at regular 

 intervals, in obedience to the natural instinct of the 

 genus, fresli-water life for a marine existence. It is 



oiiK to be ex])ected that such forms sliould suffei' 

 alteration. 



The actual number of species within the genus 

 it is tliiis impossible as \et to state with certainty. 

 In Europe 7 or S species are sujjposed to occur, most 

 of them belonging to Russia and the Danubian coun- 

 tries. Ill Scandina\ian waters onh' <me species of the 

 genus is found, the common .'Sturgeon of W(!Sterii 

 iMirope. King 1"kki)Ki;i(k I. of Sweden attempted to 

 plant the K'ussiati Sterlet in kxlsviken (near Stockholm) 

 off ririksdal. an experiment which at first seemed to 

 pr(mii.sc success, but exentually pro\-ed a ccnnplete failure. 



The Sturgeons have been highly esteemed from 

 time immemorial for their flesh, their roe, and the 

 gelatine extracted from their air-bladder, (iregarious 

 and at certain seasons extremely sluggish, they are 

 an easv catch: and at other timers, when the\' are more 

 active, their great timidity drives them blindly into 

 the fisherman's snares. Some of them are among the 

 colossi of the piscine world: the Hansen, for instance, 

 is stated to have attained a weight of more than 1,500 

 kilo., and specimens weighing 550 kilo, are still taken 

 from time to time. A single fish of the latter weight 

 commands at .Vstrachan a price of about £22 '. The 

 Sturgeon-fislier\' is consc(juently of great importance 

 and, especially in Russia, a productive source of food 

 and income. According to Danilovski' the annual 

 take of Sturgeons in European Russia may be approxi- 

 mately valued at eight million roubles (£1,250,000). 

 Of this sum about five millions are represented by 

 the flesh, about two millions and a quarter by cavi- 

 are, about (iOO,000 roubles by isinglass, and about 

 100,000 roubles ])\ rjeiii/ii, the notochord (eliorda 

 d(irsiilis), which is principally employed in the pre- 

 paration of stock for soups and as an ingredient in pies'. 



Acipenser' is classical Latin, and was introduced into 

 ichthyology, as a generic name, by Artedi. In Plinv 

 the Sturgeon is called Affili(s' and Marin.' Among the 



" .Siisswasser/. Oslr. Moii.. p. 345. 



' 1. c, p. .3.^9. 



<■ 1. c, p. 5G9. 



'' Fi'sli., Hunt, in Buss. Wat., p. 24. 



' E. g. Acijienser rubicundns in America. 



■' CiRIM.M, 1. C. p. .S2. 



" See (7RIM.M. 1. c, p. 2(3. 



* For a description of Ihe Slurgeon-fisliery in Rusai-i, see Brehm, Tliierleben. Gr. Ausg.. 1879. Alitli. Ill, Bd. 2. p. 358. 



'■ Gesneb supposed thai tlie word had arisen by letter-changes from the Greek oll'ggiyxOS- 



' Hist. Mweli. lib. IX, cap. XIII. 



' 1. c, lib. IV. cap. XV. 



Hcanilmnrinn FUlits. 



