380 



HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 



well as in the various other objects of interest which 

 form the study of the zoologist. 



All writers agree that the waters of California 

 abound in fish in a most extraordinary degree. Num- 

 berless varieties of sea fish literally swarm oflf the 

 coast, and the rivers abound in valuable kinds suitable 

 for the table. Shell fish are also abundant ; oysters, 

 the pearl shell, already referred to, clams and several 

 species of the haliotis are found. Salmon which are 



known to be so abundant in the Columbia Rivera are 

 not less so in the San Joaquin and Sacramento. Two 

 or three thousand, according to Farnham, are some- 

 times taken in a day. The Indians take them in a 

 basket of wicker work like a lobster basket, as they 

 pass up the rivers in the spring. They are also very 

 skilful in spearing them. The fish are preserved by 

 drying and salting. 



STURGEON. 



The Sturgeon {Accipenscr transmontanus\ is found 

 in the large rivers eight or ten feet in length, and 

 weighing five hundred pounds. 



