FISHES AND FISHING. 51 



thousand in a smelt, six thousand in a shrimp, twelve 

 to twenty-one thousand in a lobster, four thousand in 

 a crab, thirty-six thousand in a herring, one million 

 in a sole, the same number in a flounder, of a large 

 size, above one million four hundred thousand in a 

 sturgeon. This account of the fecundity of a stur- 

 geon must apply only to those of southern climes ; 

 for in the Volga, where this fish is from thirteen to 

 sixteen feet long, and the weight of 1200, 1800, 

 or 2300lbs., two hundred pounds of roe have been 

 taken from one fish ; now, as Dr. Pallas asserts that 

 five eggs weigh only a grain, it is easy to calculate 

 that the eggs in this sturgeon were seven millions ! 

 But this is nothing compared with one caught in that 

 river in the winter of 1769, seventeen feet long; 

 weight, 2,5001bs. ; from which were taken 720lbs. 

 of roe, which, by the same calculation, would give 

 25,200,000 ova. 



To take fish of the large size mentioned by Dr. 

 Pallas, called the beljuga, or bjeluga sturgeon, a 

 species of trap or weir is constructed. Another 

 method is to ascertain where the fish are lying side 

 by side in a state of torpidity, in deep holes. Make 

 apertures in the ice, and with long poles, having a 

 large sharp hook at the end, disturb them, and aa 

 they rise, the fish are hooked, and drawn up on the 

 ice ; if too heavy for one fisherman, others assist. 



E 2 



