MONSTER STURGEON FROM HELIGOLAND. 



253 



worthy the examination of those who like to see and 

 admire the beautiful pieces of machinery as exhibited 

 in the animal creation ; in fact, in some respects, the 

 sturgeon's mouth may be compared to the trunk of the 

 elephant. 



MOUTH OF STUEGEON. 



I have in my museum at South Kensington several 

 good casts of both species of sturgeons, the largest 

 being nine feet long. This was a most difficult cast to 

 make. I have, however, in my possession the mould 

 of the largest sturgeon, I think, ever known. 



In 1879, I received a letter from my friend Mr. 

 H. Smethurst, jun., fish merchant. Great Grimsby, 

 stating that his smack Kitty had just brought in a 

 tremendously large sturgeon, caught in a deep-sea 

 trawl net off Heligoland ; a few minutes after came 

 a letter from Mr. John Charles, fish merchant, of Gros- 

 venor Place, Buckingham Palace Koad, informing me 

 that he had got this fish. It certainly was a most 

 splendid specimen. He weighed 44^ stone, lllb. to 

 the stone, which makes him no less than 5 cwt. 2 qrs. 

 and 7lbs. His total length was lift. 4in. ; the head 

 2ft. 5in. ; girth, largest part, 4ft. 9in.; his shackles or 

 armour-plates on the back were ten in number, some as 

 large as saucers. 



Mr. Charles most kindly offered to let me cast the 



