AMERICAN 
JOURNAL OF SCIENCE, &c. 
Art. I.—Notice of the Spoonbill Rewraeonk or Paddle Fish, 
of the Ohio, ( Polyodon feuille of Lacepede.) 
Tue fish, whose figures are annexed, appearing to be pe+ 
culiar to the western waters of this country, and being very 
rare, even in those regions, " was thought that the notice 
communicated for this Journal, by Dr. S. P. Hildreth —that 
of Mr. Clemens to Dr. Mitchill, and the note of the latter to 
the editor, would prove acceptable, although the fish is not 
unknown to learned ichthyalogists. 
The drawings 1, 2, 3, were communicated .by Gen. Zane 
to =a Mitchill, and By him to the editor 5 4 is by Dr. 8. P- 
1. Dr. Mitehill’s Notice. 
TO PROF. SILLIMAN: 
New-York, May 21, 1826. — 
DEAR Sir 
The fish figured by Dr. Hildreth, and memetiadt in yours 
of the 16th inst. to me, is considered by naturalists as pe- 
culiar to the waters of the Mississippi. 
The popular name is the Paddle Fish. It is known by 
ee A IO by the name of Spatularia. But the 
mths and modern term is Polyodon, from the existence 
of many small — in the throat. ‘The snout has been com* 
VOL XII—NO. 2. 6 
