FISHES 



359 



Coles meet with no disasters, it is not improbable 

 that the wild goose will be eventually added to our 

 stock of poultry,* 



FISHES. 



Sturgeons abound in all our rivers, and in the state 

 43f Virginia, when young, they are pickled for expor- 

 tation ; they are also eaten in a variety of ways, and 

 justly esteemed. It is to be regretted that the intes- 

 tines and roes are thrown away by the fishermen ; 

 as both are capable of being made into very valuable 

 articles of commerce, viz, ichthyocolla or fish glue 

 from the first, and caviar from tlie last. The ex- 

 portation of those articles, add considerably to the 

 revenue of Russia. 



The blue bream of the three southern states is a 

 large, beautiful and delicious fish ; when full grown 

 they are nine inches in length, and five to six inches 

 in breadth ; the whole body is of a dull blue or indigo 

 colour, marked with transverse lists or zones of a 

 darker colour, scatteringly powdered with sky blue, 

 gold and red specks ; fins and tail of a dark purple or 

 livid flesh colour ; the ultimate angle of the branchi- 

 ostega forming a spatula, the extreme end of which 

 ist)road and circular, terminating like the feather of 

 a peacock's train, and having a brilliant spot or eye 

 like it, being delicately painted with a fringed border 

 of a fine colour. t 



* Med. Repos, 



t BartraiTx's Travels, 



