202 Notice of the Spoonbill Sturgeon. 
pared to a broad vegetable leaf, whence the appellation of P. 
_ feuille, given by Lacepede. 
This animal was first brought to my notice, by the late 
Prof. B. S. Barton, as long ago as the time when we were 
students together in the University of Edinburgh. After- 
wards, Prof. Douglas of the Military Academy, at West 
* Point, brought me the head and some other parts of the fish, 
. 
from his official jouracy, with Gov. Cass and others, towards 
the north-west ; since which communications, Gen. Zane 
sent me a correct drawing, of a large individual of the spe- 
cies, taken in the Ohio, almost as high as Wheeling. 
It is more nearly allied to the Sturgeons than to any other 
family ; though some have traced an analogy between it and 
_ the Sharks. I consider the former opinion the more just. If I 
recollect right, however, Mr. Maudit distinguished it as the 
qualus Spatula. 
There is but a single species to the genus ; and it is wor- 
thy, perhaps, of the particular attention of Fredonian citizens, 
by reason of its absence from all the waters of the globe, ex- 
cept the great father of North American streams and _ his 
tributaries, 
With high and respectful consideration, I remain yours, 
Samuet L. Mircwi.t- 
2. Commitnication from Dr. S.-P. Hildreth to the Editor: 
The specimen in natural history, whose figure is above 
delineated, isia variety of the finny tribe, peculiar to the wa- 
ters of ‘the Mississippi and some of its tributary streams. 
With us it is called the “ Spoonbill Sturgeon.” It is ver’ 
rarely seen in this part of the river Ohio; and the subject of 
this memoir, with two others, is all that I have heard of be- 
ing taken, since the first settlement of the country ; at which 
ume, one or two were caught ina net, or seine, the only way 
in which any have been taken in this vicinity. From their 
exceeding rarity, I consider those caught here, as wander- 
ers or travellers who had lost their way, and not as regular 
“ap 
. idtobe. The length of this specimen was five feet, and 
the broadest part, three and a half inches—from the 
: eyesto the baek part of the gills, ten anda half inches—from 
= — ae 
