so 



rftgose, radiated, keeled and spinescent behind. Iris yellow 

 oblong. See Lesucur's description; 



97th Species. Shovelfish Sturgeon. Jlccijienscr filatiryn- 

 chus. Eturgeon pelie. 



Head one fifth of total length, flittcned, strorrt flat oval, hard- 

 ly obtuse, rough above, eyes round. Body pentagonal smooth, 

 pale fulvous above, white beneath. Tail elongated mucronate: 

 16 dorsal scales, lateral rows with 40, abdominal rows with 12. 



A singular species, very common in the Ohio, Wabash, and 

 Cumberland in the spring and summer, but seldom reaching as 

 high as Pittsburgh. It appears in shoals in March, and disap- 

 pears in August. It is very good to eat and bears many names, 

 such as Spade-fish, Shovel-fish, Shovel-head, Flat-head, Flat- 

 nose, Sec. j.aving reference to the shape of its head, which 

 flattened somewhat like a spade. It is also found in the Mis- 

 sissippi and Missouri, where the French call it J. a fietlc or P&i~ 

 &on~fi?l!t , yqfti\ch has the same meaning. Size from two to three 

 feel," greatest weight 20 lb. Body rather slender, with small 

 bluishdots on" the back and whitish on the sides. Dorsal scales 

 brownish, radiated, punctuated, and spinescent. Lateral scales 

 dimidia^ofrf "Serrated behind, the posterior smaller: the abdom- 

 inal nearly similar, hai-dly serrated. Two liu^ r rils on eacfe-sutv - 

 before the eyes, the posterior larger oblong obliqual. Eyes 

 round black, iris coppered. Mouth with eight lobes and ver- 

 rucosa. Tail very long, one fifth of total length, the upper lobe 

 scaly above, slender and with a long filiform terminal process. 

 Air the fins trapezoidal, the ' dorsal falcated with 25 rays ami 

 nearly opposite to the anal. Pectoral large 45 rays. Abdom 

 inal 20. Anal 14." Tail, tnfcfiof lobe 18; "superior 60. 



2d Subgenus. Sterletus. — 



Only Three rows of scales, one dorsal and two lateral. 



98th Species. F.\CL Sturgeon. Accijicnser scrotimua. E-- 

 turgeon tardif. 



Head conical two ninths of total length, snout short obtuse, 

 eyes somewhat oblong. Body cylindrical entirely fulvous brown, 

 belly white. Tail short and truncate obliquely. Dorsal scales 

 17, two of which behind the iOVHt ftn, lateral rows with about 

 3 o" scares. 



