COMMON STURGEON. 273 



their excessive voracity. They are usually from three to 

 five feet in length ; and, of one of them caught near Scar- 

 borough, the mouth was a yard wide. The fishermen 

 have a sort of veneration for them, from the circumstance 

 of their being supposed to destroy great numbers of dog- 

 fish. They are chiefly found in the rocky parts of the 

 sea; and in their appearance are extremely ugly and dis- 

 gusting. 



Their body is depressed ; the head rounded at the 

 extremity, and much larger than the body. The under 

 jaw is longer than the upper one. On each side of the 

 upper jaw there are two sharp spines, and others are 

 scattered about the upper part of the head. Above the 

 nose there are two long and tough filaments, and on the 

 back three others. Along the edges of the head and body 

 there are a great number of short fringed fins, placed at 

 equal distances. The colour of the upper part of the 

 body is dusky, and of the lower parts white. The skin is 

 smooth. 



ORDER VI. CHONDROPTERYGIOUS FISH. 



24. STURGEON TRIBE. 



Sturgeons are fish of large size, measuring from four to 

 eighteen or twenty feet in length. They are inhabitants 

 of the sea, but annually ascend the rivers, for the purpose 

 of depositing their spawn. 



Common Sturgeon. In nearly all ages these fish have 

 been highly esteemed as food. They sometimes attain 



N 5 



