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- 
caught fish. Nevertheless, as his habit is to 
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 
