354 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 



one hundred and twenty pounds. They deposit in the rapids on gravel 

 bars, and at times the sexes are rather polyandrous, as many as a 

 dozen males accompanying a single female. On one such occasion the 

 anxious bucks were seen swimming nervously about and around an 

 indisposed sow. As she did not seem to accept their attentions, some 

 were seen to move off and then swim rapidly at her, striking their 

 noses, one or more at a time, against her sides, so that the ova were 

 literally forced out. At the same time the milt was expelled and the 

 ova fertilized en masse. Sturgeon seldom jump when ascending the 

 river, as they are then vigorous, and seemingly have the requisite 

 amount of air. But after spawning their condition is weakened, ap- 

 pearing lazy, or often as over-sleepy, or becoming feverish, lying 

 around on the bottom, and it is then that they frequently jump for 

 air. Of many individuals opened, none were ever found to contain 

 any food, unless it may have been invisible to the naked eye or micro- 

 scopic. Formerly sturgeon fishing was carried on by spearing that 

 is, before nets were used. This was accomplished either at night with 

 a light or during the day. The sturgeon could usually be readily 

 located, as when dropping down stream they all move down tail first 

 with the current, though the instant tfreir tails would strike anything, 

 such as a rock or log, they would immediately start up stream again, 

 thus leaving a wake most always discernable at the surface. It was 

 by means of this wake that the fish were located. They would then 

 repeat their downward course until again feeling an obstruction. 

 The fishermen believed that this method of descending tail first was 

 to avoid the contact of the rocks and the snout, the latter being some- 

 what sensitive and capable of being easily bruised. The harpoon or 

 barb was sometimes thrown free, or fastened to a rope, the latter 

 method, of course, necessitating careful management in a boat, as a 

 large sturgeon could tow it at good speed. The exhausted fish were 

 finally hooked into the boat. 



Acipenser brevi rostrum Le Sueur. 

 Mouche. 



According to the fishermen at Bridgeport, in- lower Raccoon Creek, 

 Gloucester county, the "mouche" is said to be very scarce. They dis- 

 tinguish it chiefly by its small size, which is said not to exceed three 

 feet. 



