XXTA. Genus. Sturgeon. Accipenser. Eturgeo*.' 



A gill cover without branchial membrane. Body elongated 

 with three or five rows of large bony scales. Abdominal. Vent 

 posterior. One dorsal and one anal fin. Tail obliqual and un- 

 equal. Mouth beneath the snout, toothless, retractible; snout 

 bearded by four appendages before the mouth. 



A very interesting and extensive genus, inhabiting all the 

 large rivers of the northern hemisphere; many species are an- 

 adromic and live in the sea in the winter. There are six spe- 

 cies in the Ohio and its branches, which appear very early in 

 the spring, and must therefore winter in the deep waters of the 

 Mississippi. They are all good to eat and are used as food. 

 They are taken with the seines and harpoons. They spawn in 

 the Ohio, kc. Linneus, Lacepede, Shaw, and Schneider knew 

 very few species of this genus. I have proved, in a Monogra'pHy, 

 that it must contain about 40 species, of which I have ascer- 

 tained 20. Seven of them belong to the Old Continent; 1- A. 

 s(7trio, Linneus. 2. A. huso, L. 3. A. vuthenus, L. 4. A. stcl- 

 2atus, L. 5. A. licJilcnstcini, Schn. 6. A. lutcscens, Raf. 7. 

 A. attilua, Raf. ; while thirteen arc peculiar to North America; 

 8. Jl. atlanticus, Raf. (A. sturio, Mitchill. ) 9. A. nxyrinchus^ 

 Mitchill. 10. A. rubtcundus* Lesucur, 11. A. fnuricafas, kafl 

 (var. prec. Lesucur.) 12. A. m u rgin a i 'ifs , k af.~ 1 3 . Jl. brcvivs- 

 tritm* Les. (His three varieties are probably distinct species.} 

 14. A, hudsonius, Raf. ; besides the six following ones. 



1st Subgenus Sturio. — 



Five rows of scales on the body, one dorsal, two lateral, and 

 two abdotninal. '-" 



96th Species. Spotted Sturgeon. Acci/icnscr maculosus* 

 Eturgeon tachetc. 



A. maculosus. Lesucur in Transactions of the American 

 Philosophical Society; New Scries vol 1, page 393. 



Head one fourth of total length channelled between the eyes, 

 which are oblong, snout elongated obtuse. Body pentagonal 

 olive, with black spots and small asperities: 1 3 dorsal scales, 

 lateral rows with 35 scales, abdominal rows with 10. 



It is found in the Ohio as far as Pittsburgh. Size small, not 

 exceeding two feet. Mouth and pectoral fins large. Scales 



