446 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



The shad lives upon suction, and feeds upon the animalcule in 

 the water, while swimming. Food has never been discovered in 

 the body of shad when opened, and they never bite a bated hook. 



I have frequently noticed a fish in the North river, between the 

 shad and the herring — smaller than the shad, but larger than the 

 herring — possessing the general characteristics of both; it ascends 

 the river at the same time to spawn, and returns to the ocean after 

 having deposited its ova. 



The Sturgeon {Accipenser). — This remarkable fish much resem- 

 bles the shark, and is covered with bony prominences, ranged in 

 longitudinal rows, the nostrils and eyes are on the side of 

 the head, the snout projecting, body long and slender, mouth 

 small and devoid of teeth; it is an amazingly strong and vigorous 

 fish, and continues to grow until it reaches twenty feet in length; 

 it is mild and inoifensive, and feeds on worms and animalculee; its 

 bones are entirely cartilaginous; its flesh is much esteemed by 

 many — it is delicate, the color of salmon, and when properly 

 cooked nearly resembles veal; it was in high repute among the 

 Romans and Greeks, and was brought to the table with great 

 pomp, ornamented with flowers and accompanied Avith music. 

 Caviare is prepared from the roe, and used as* an article of food 

 during the Lenten season of the Greek church. Under the mouth 

 there hang pendent four cini, which so much resembles worms 

 that frogs, and occasionally small fish, nibble at them, and are at 

 once seized and sw^allowed. The tail is its propelling instrument, 

 with which it operates upon the water precisely like an oar when 

 sculling a boat. The other fins are called into requisition in 

 balancing, turning round, and stopping suddenly; the fin on the 

 back, near the tail, performs the interesting ofiice of keel, which 

 is placed underneath on boats. Were it so placed on the stur- 

 geon, he could not feed on the bottom, and might ground in shoal 

 water. The gills of this fish fulfil the office of lungs; their fringes 

 are so constructed as to subject the venous blood to the action of 

 the water, which is driven through them forcibly by the motion 

 of the jaws. I once closed the gill covers, and death ensued in a 

 very short time by suffocation; and on another occasion fastened 

 them open, in such a manner that the mouth could not exert a 

 pressure to react on the water, and death ensued immediately. 



