THE SHARP-MOSED STURGEON. 403 



tempt to escape, but allowed one of the sailors to put his 

 hands under it, and lift it fairly into the boat.'" The flesh 

 is not made use of as food, but yields a large quantity of 

 oil. 



SUB-CLASS 11.— PISCES CARTILAGINEI. 



Bones cartilaginous ; cranium divided by indistinct su- 

 tures; branchiae generally fixed ; membrane without rays ; 

 maxillary and intermaxillary bones either wanting or rudi- 

 mentary ; the palatines, or vomer alone, supplying their 

 place. 



ORDER I— ELEUTHEROPOMI. 



Branchiae free, with one large external aperture on each 

 side, furnished with a strong opercule ; upper jaw formed 

 by the palatine bone, firmly united to the maxillary ; inter- 

 maxillary rudimentary. 



Genus ACIPENSER. — Body elongated, mailed, as well 

 as the head, with osseous tubercles, arranged in longitudi- 

 nal rows ; mouth placed beneath, very protractile, small, 

 without teeth ; nostrils and eyes lateral ; four pendent bar- 

 bules on the under surface of the snout. 



ACIPENSER STURIO.* ThE ShARP-NOSED StURGEON. 



Specific Characters. — Osseous tubercles in five longitudinal rows ; 

 snout pointed. 



Description. — From a specimen five feet in lene^th. Body elongat- 

 ed, tapering from the head to the base of tlie tail, approaching in 



• Acipenser sturio, Auctorum. 



c c 2 



