178: THE STURGEON. 
fish ought to be sent tothe king, though how far 
the sovereign’s rights in the matter are actually 
considered, seems to be somewhat doubtful. 
It is said, however, that the sturgeon was ex- 
clusively reserved for the table of the king in 
the time of Henry I. 
In the Fraser and Columbia rivers, and in all 
the streams of any magnitude from latitude 
46°19’ N. to Sitka, latitude 53° N., the sturgeon 
is found abundantly; as also in Northern Asia, 
where it forms an article of vast commercial 
value, the well-known and much-prized caviare 
being made from its roe, and that almost in- 
dispensable household necessary, isinglass, from 
its air-bladder. The long ligamentous cord, 
traversing the entire length of the spine, con- 
stitutes another delicacy, called vesiga, much 
relished by the Russians. The flesh also is 
eaten, cooked in various ways, and held in no 
mean estimation. Turkey, Italy, Germany, and 
Greece (especially the two latter) are great mar- 
kets for caviare. 
Pliny speaks of the sturgeon as being in great 
repute among the Greeks and Romans: ‘the 
cooked fish was decked with garlands, as were 
the slaves who carried it to table; and altogether 
it was an affair of great pomp and ceremony, when 
a sturzeon was to be demolished. 
