50 NATURAL HISTORY. 



times, however, it is roused to resistance, and inflicts 

 severe and dangerous strokes with its tail. In autumn 

 the sturgeons repair to certain places in the rivers, where 

 they lie packed in rows, ready for their winter's rest. The 

 Cossacks take advantage of their half-dormant state, and 

 cutting holes in the ice, drag the frightened creatures 

 from their lair with long grappling irons or hooks. The 

 flesh of the sturgeon is much esteemed ; it is cured with 

 salt and sent abroad. The roe and swimming-bladder, 

 furnishing the commercial articles of Caviar and Ichthy- 

 ocolla, are in great request. The roe, prepared in a par- 

 ticular manner, salted and packed in casks, is known 

 over Europe as a highly-relished viand by the name of 

 Caviar ; an inferior sort is pressed into cakes and dried 

 in the sun. The sturgeon is highly useful to man, for 

 not only are the well-tasted flesh and roe considerable 

 articles of trade, but also the isinglass made from the 

 swimming-bladder is useful for many purposes. It is 

 prepared by cutting, washing, and drying the bladder, 

 then rolled together in the form of Q , is ready for expor- 

 tation. Much resembling the sturgeon, is 



The Huso or Isinglass Fish (accipenser huso), over 

 two fathoms long, often weighing ten quintals ; is black 

 above, brownish on the sides ; the flesh and roe are very 

 inferior as articles of food ; the swimming-bladder, like 

 that of the sturgeon, furnishes the valuable commodity 

 called isinglass ; also when boiled with sugar-candy, it is 

 used as mouth glue. The smallest species of this 

 species, is 



The Sterlet (accipenser ruthenus), plate 20, fig. 3, 

 which seldom exceeds two feet in length ; the upper sur- 

 face of the body is black, the under white, spotted with 



