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THE STURGEONS*. 



THE fish of this tribe are all inhabitants of 

 the sea, though some of them occasionally go up 

 the wider rivers. All the species are large, seldom 

 measuring, when full grown, less than three or four 

 feet in length. The flesh of the whole is reckoned 

 extremely delicious ; and to the inhabitants on the 

 banks of the Caspian Sea, and indeed of many 

 other parts both of Europe and America, these fish 

 are very useful as an article of commerce. Their 

 usual food is worms and other fish. 



The head is obtuse ; and the mouth, which is 

 placed quite under the head, is tubular, and with- 

 out teeth. Between the end of the snout and the 

 mouth are four cirri, or tendrils ; and on each side 

 there is a narrow aperture of the gills. The body 

 is long in proportion to its thickness, and usually 

 angular, from several rows of large bony plates. 



THE COMMON STURGEONf. 



The body of this fish, which is often found from 

 six to sixteen feet in length, is pentagonal, being 



* This tribe commences the sixth Linnaean order, the Chondrop- 

 terycious Fish. 



t Synonyms. —Accipenser strurio. Linn,— Accipenser ? Pliny* 

 -* — Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. 3. tab. 19. 



