LECTURE VIIL 
'IS 
fishes, and produce their young enclosed in oh=» 
long cartilaginous square sheaths, each corner of 
which runs out into the form of a lengthened and 
convoluted tendril. 
The Sturgeons which I shall next mention, 
form a genus called Accipensery and have a long 
body, covered above with rows of large bony tu-^ 
bercles; a lengthened, obtuse snout, furnished 
with four tendrils or beards 5 and a mouth placed 
entirely beneath, perfectly destitute of teeth, and 
only capable of closing by means of a strong 
cartilaginous edge or border. The Common Stur^ 
geon grows to the length of eighteen or twenty 
feet, and is of a pale olive-brown above and white 
beneath. It is a sea fish, but frequents the 
mouths of large rivers during the early part of 
summer in order to deposit its spawn. It has 
been often celebrated as an excellent fish for the 
table, and was held in high esteem among the 
ancient Romans. From the roe or spavm pro- 
perly pressed and salted is prepared the substance 
called Caviare. The fish called the Isinglass Stur- 
geon is of still larger size than the common one, 
and is the A. Huso of Linnceus : it is of a dusky 
blue colour above, and white or reddish white be- 
