The Isinglass of Commerce. 



253 



very little use is made of it. From Virginia up to the 

 highest habitable northern latitudes, they ascend the rivers 

 300 to 500 miles up. From 30,000 to 40,000 sturgeons 

 might be caught annually in the before-named rivers, and 

 without counting the rivers farther north of Maine, the 

 annual export of pickled sturgeon, caviare, and isinglass 

 alone would be worth 500,000 dollars. The sturgeon is not, 

 however, much esteemed in America ; it brings scarcely 

 twopence a pound in the market, and the roe and swim- 

 ming-bladder are always thrown away. There are two 

 species of sturgeon which frequent the American rivers — • 

 the round-nosed (Accipenser rubicimdus) , which is gene- 

 rally eight feet or more long, and weighs over 200 lbs. ; 

 and the sharp or shovel nosed {Scaphirhyncus platyrhyn- 

 cus), which is seldom more than five feet long, and 

 weighs about 150 lbs. or more. In Russia some are found 

 which weigh 500 lbs., and in Norway one was caught 

 which weighed 1000 lbs. 



In the Hudson river thousands are captured annually 

 — a number of persons making this their sole business. 

 Immense nets are cast ; but instead of hauling them entire, 

 their floats are watched, and when one goes down a stur- 

 geon is calculated on. The net is drawn at that point, 

 his sturgeonship is hauled into a scow," and the net is 

 dropped again for a fresh victim. Inshore the fishermen 

 have pens where the fish are kept for market. Lots of 

 them go to Albany, where they are considered " tit-bits." 

 Thousands of them are cut up and tried for the oil which 

 they yield in abundance. 



Chinese Isinglass. — Isinglass or fish-glue is very exten- 

 sively employed in China for a great number of purposes. 

 This substance, which is obtained in Europe by treating 

 principally the swimming-bladder of the sturgeon, is made 



