— 
. 204 Notice of the Spoonbill Sturgeon. 7 
3. Notice communicated to Dr. Mitchill, by I. W. Clem- 
ens, and received June 30, 1822. 
The fish represented by the enclosed drawing, was taken 
in the Ohio river, a few miles below this place. It was four 
feet eight inches long, of a lead color on the back—the belly 
somewhat of a yellow cast—from oceiput to tail it very much 
resembled what is here called a pike. Its snout, eye, and or- 
gan of hearing, is much better delineated by the drawing than 
description. 
It had seven fins, viz: one caudal, which was forked and 
stood perpendicular ; one anal, one dorsal, two ventral, and 
two pectoral—these are the appearances externally. It ha 
five pair of gills, which were double. Each of those duplica- 
tures were thickly set with teeth, of about the diameter and 
consistence of pest Russian bristles, and one and a fourth in- 
ches long—the throat rough, and large enough to admit a 
common sized wrist. 
Its heart was single—on 
e auricle, and one ventricle—a 
very capacious liver and gall bladder: the liver, gall bladder, 
and ligaments, weighed 54 ounces avoirdupois. 
Its intestines, one continued tube with but one reflection 
whieh was soon after entering the abdomen : this reflection 
was 24 inches, and in shape a double curve. 
bout 3 inches from the anus is an excrescence about 2 in- 
ches in diameter, and $ an inch thick, of a pale vermillion 
color, and attached to the intestines—in shape like a star-fish. 
: excrescence was hollow, but of a thick and firm con- 
sistence. ‘The rectum also thick and strong, and divided 
into 4 cells, ia each of which were found a number of worms 
with flattened heads. It had no food in its intestines—all 
at was observable, was a small quantity of a substance re- 
gembling chyle, but of the consistencé of honey. It had no 
in length 
pomt. This reflection was a very pliable skin, and of a cat 
ae erence. ree 
_ From the occiput to the tail was found a cartilaginous sub- 
: . Pesembling that found ina sturgeon. ‘There were 
er ane from the skin, which connected themselves to this 
“oe —they were not regular, some perpendicular and 
