130 FISHES AND FISHINa. 



made on the banks of the "Volga, from the air-bladders 

 of the sturgeon, in this manner : the bladder is cut 

 open lengthwise, and exposed during a short time in 

 the sun ; the internal membrane is then separated 

 from the external, and placed in a wet cloth or mat 

 a whole day, then cut into pieces, rolled up, and dried 

 in the shade. One species of this fish produces a 

 more valuable article than another ; the best formerlj^ 

 obtained at Astrachan £7 17s. 6d. per pud of thirty- 

 six pounds English; the other from £5 12s, 6d. to 

 £6 15s. An inferior sort of fish-glue is made from 

 the air-bladders of barbel. 



The shad, which was formerly very common in the 

 Thames, so as to give a name to a portion of the 

 banks of that river, ** Shad Thames," and did not ex- 

 ceed eighteen inches in length, attains in the Yolga 

 the great length of six feet, and weight of 120 pounds. 

 The air-bladders of these fish are very useful to the 

 naturalist to cover bottles in which animal prepara- 

 tions are to be preserved. The skin of this fish being 

 thin and smooth, like that of an eel, spread and dried 

 is as transparent as horn, is sold to the country people, 

 especially among the Tartars, to form their windows. 

 The air-bladders of fish in our part of the world are 

 small, and usually thrown away ; but they may be 

 worth saving and boiling down into a glue useful for 

 many purposes. 



