REPRINT OF ORIGINAL TEXT 149 



trapezoidal, dorsal fins nearly triangular, the first 

 larg- [III. 250] er and standing immediately behind 

 the pectoral. Gill cover rounded. Tail somewhat 

 forked, the upper lobe thrice as long as the lower. 

 Four long white barbs, very near the end of the 

 snout, eyes above the mouth. 



XXXIII Genus. Spadefish. Polyodon. Polyodon. 



Differs from Sturgeon, by having a transversal 

 mouth with teeth, no barbs and no scales. Snout 

 protruded in a long flat process, gill cover elongated 

 by a membra[na]ceous appendage. 



This singular genus was first described by Lace- 

 pede. It belongs to the family of Sturionia, along 

 with the two foregoing and the following. Only one 

 species is known as yet. 



i02d Species. Western Spadefish. Polyodon 

 folium. Polyodon feuille. 



Head longer than the body, snout as long as the 

 head, cunei- [83] form obtuse thin and veined with 

 one main nerve. Brown above, white beneath. 



Squalus spathula Lacep. Poiss. 1, p. 403, tab. 12, fig. 3. 



Polyodon folium Lacep. and Auct. mod. 



Spatularia. Schneider's Ichthyology. 



This singular fish has often been described and 

 figured, but I have not seen a single figure of it 

 perfectly correct. It is a rare fish, occasionally seen 

 in the Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, &c. It disappears 

 in winter. I saw several at the falls in September 

 18 1 8. It is caught in the seines and sometimes bites 

 at the hook. It is not eaten. Length from one to 

 three feet. I shall add an exact description of it. 

 An oblong redish spot at the base of the snout, which 

 is brown and membranaceous, with a thick cartila- 

 ginous nerve in the middle and many veins, broader 



