THE COMMON STURGEON. 1 35 



acquainted with the compofition of this glue, fo ufeful in 

 many fpecies of raanufadlure : It was probably made up 

 by them in a fimilar manner, from a fifh that had this ve- 

 ry name *: It is ufeful as a glue for paper, muiical inftru- 

 jnents, and cementing every (lender fabric of wood. It 

 is well known to the varnifher, the apothecary, and the 

 clothier. 



The lize of the fturgeon depends upon the place of its 

 refidence ; where it is confined either in frefli or fait wa- 

 ter, it is comparatively fmall ; but where it alternately 

 enjoys both, it grows often to tlie length of eighteen 

 feet, and weighs from four to five hundred pounds ; o£ 

 this magnitude one was caught in the river Kjh^ in Bri~ 

 tai?i ; and in the larger rivers of the continent, fome at- 

 tain even to a fuperior lize f . The body of this fifh is 

 long, and of a pentagonal form, on account of five rows 

 of large bony fcales, which proceed from the head along 

 as far as the dorfal fin, one upon the back, and two up- 

 on each fide. The head is fmall and protuberant at the 

 fnout ; the eyes are fmall in proportion to the fiib, and 

 the irides are of a filver grey : The mouth, without 

 either jaws or teeth, is fituated confiderably below the 

 extremity of the nofe, and in the middle fpace between 

 them, fpring out a few briflles : The firfl pair of fins are 

 placed immediately befide the gills ; the fecondpair near 

 the anus, and a third between that and the tail ; upon the 

 back their is but one fin. 



The fturgeon differs from the other cartilaginous 

 fifties in the manner of its generation ; like the fpinous 

 tribes it is oviparous, and depofits its fpawn in the win- 

 ter months |. 



* Plinii, Lib. xxxii. cap 7. f Ronddetluj. 



I Brit. Zool. 



