THE SHARP-NOSED STURGEON. 400 



tempt to escape, but allowed one of the sailors to put his 

 hands under it, and lift it fairly into the boat. v The flesh 

 is not made use of as food, but yields a large quantity of 

 oil. 



SUB-CLASS IL— PISCES CARTILAGINEI. 



Bones cartilaginous ; cranium divided by indistinct su- 

 tures ; branchiae generally fixed ; membrane without rays ; 

 maxillary and intermaxillary bones either wanting or rudi- 

 mentary ; the palatines, or vomer alone, supplying their 

 place. 



ORDER I— ELEUTHEROPOMI. 



Branchiae free, with one large external aperture on each 

 side, furnished with a strong opercule ; upper jaw formed 

 by the palatine bone, firmly united to the maxillary ; inter- 

 maxillary rudimentary. 



Genus ACIPENSER — Body elongated, mailed, as well 

 as the head, with osseous tubercles, arranged in longitudi- 

 nal rows ; mouth placed beneath, very protractile, small, 

 without teeth ; nostrils and eyes lateral ; four pendent bar- 

 bules on the under surface of the snout. 



ACIPENSER STURIO.* THE SHARP-NOSED STURGEON. 



Specific Characters. — Osseous tubercles in five longitudinal rows ; 

 snout pointed. 



Description. — From a specimen five feet in length. Body elongat- 

 ed, tapering from the head to the base of the tail, approaching in 



• Acipenser sturio, Auctorum. 



cc2 



