S T U 
rivers. The nofe is long, flender, and pointed ; 
the eyes are fmall; the noftrils are placed near 
them; and there are four cirri in the lower part of 
the nofe. The mouthj which is placed far be- 
neath, is fmall, deftitute of teeth, and unfupported 
•with maxilla; fo that the mouth of a dead fifli is 
always open, but when alive opened or clofed at 
pleafure by means of certain mAifcles. The body 
is long, pentagonal, and covered with five rows of 
large bony tubercles; the whole under-fideof the 
fifl.1 is flat; on the back, near the tail, there is a 
fingle fin; and there are alfo two pefVoral, two 
ventral, and one anal fin. The tail is bifurcated, 
the upper part being much longer than the under. 
The upper part of the body is of a dirty olive-co- 
lour; the lower part is filvery; and the middle of 
the tubercles are white. 
Sturgeons vifit every country of Europe at dif- 
ferent feafons. They annually afcend the largefi: 
rivers, in order to fpawn; and propagate in amaz- 
ing numbers. The inhabitants along the banks 
of the Po, the Danube, and the Wolga, make 
great profits of their yearly incurfions up thefe 
refpeftive ftreams, and have their nets prepared 
for their reception. Sturgeons are alfo daily ex- 
pofed to fale in the markets of Rome and Venice; 
and are known to abound in the Mediterranean 
fea. Yet ihole fifh which keep entirely either in 
fait or frefh Vv^ater, are comparatively finall. When 
the Sturgeon enjoys the viciffitude of frefh and hit 
water, it is then that it acquires an immenfe mag- 
jiitude. 
Thefe much-efteemed fifli frequently vifit Eng- 
land. They are often accidentally taken in our 
rivers in falmon-nets ; and particularly in fuch 
fituations as are not verv remote from the fea. 
The largeft one perhaps ever caught in Great Bri- 
tain, was taken in the Eflce, (v/here they are fre- 
quently found) which weighed four hundred and 
fixty pounds. 
North America alfo abounds with Sturgeons. 
During the months of May, June, and July, the 
rivers of that continent fupply them in great abun- 
dance. They are then feen fporting in the water, 
and leaping to a confiderable height above it's 
furface. When they fall again on their fides, the 
concuflTion is fo violent, that the noife, during fe- 
rene weatiier, is heard at the diftance of feveral 
miles. 
But Sturgeons are by far the mofl plentiful in 
the lakes of FrifchehafF and Curifchaff, near the 
city of Pillau. In thofe rivers alfo that empty 
themfelves into the Euxine Sea, thefe fifh are 
caught in great numbers, particularly at the 
mouth of the Don. At each of thefe places the 
fiihermen regularly expe£t their arrival from the 
fea, and have their nets and fait in readinefs for 
their reception. 
As the Sturgeon pofi^eiTes no voracious quali- 
ties, it is never caught by a bait in the ordinary 
v/ay of fifhing, but always by means of the net. 
From the defcription already given of it's mouth, 
it is not to be fuppofed that it would fwallow any 
hook capable of detaining fo large a bulk, and 
fuch an excellent fwimmer. In fa6l, it never at- 
tempts to feize any of the finny tribe, but finds 
it's fubfiflence at the bottom, of the ocean, confifl- 
ing principally of infefts and marine plants. 
From this circumfcance of grovelling at the bot- 
tom, it's name feem.s to be derived; the German 
word Stoeren fignifying, to wallow in the m,ud. 
That it feeds on no large animals, is fufficiently 
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obvious to thole who have difTefted it: for, on 
cutting it open, nothing is found in it's ftomach 
but a flimy fubflance; whence fom.e have been 
induced to believe that it fubfifts entirely on air 
and water. 
Nor is the Sturgeon more temperate in it's ap- 
petites than timid in it's nature. It would be al- 
miofl impofTible to catch it, did not it's natural 
defire of propagation induce it to incur a variety 
ofd angers. The fimallefl; fill:! is fufficient to ter- 
rify a ftioal of Sturgeons ; for, being unprovided 
with any weapons of defence, they rely folely on 
their fwiftnefs and circumfpedion. Like all other 
animals of harmlcfs difpofitions, they are grega- 
rious; afTembling rather for the purpofes of plea- 
fure than from any hope of mutual proteftion. 
Gefner afTerts, that they are even delighted with 
founds of various kinds ; and that he has feen them 
fhoal together at the found of a trumpet. 
The ufual time (as already obferved) for the 
Sturgeon to afcend rivers, in order to depofit it's 
fpawn, is about the beginning of fummer, when 
the fiihermen of moft large rivers make a regular 
preparation for it's reception. At Pillau in par- 
ticular, the fliores are formed into diftrifls, and al- 
lotted to companies of fifhermen; fome of which 
are rented for about three hundred pounds fterling 
a year. The net in which the Sturgeon is caught 
is conftrufted with fmall cord, and placed acrofs 
the mouth of the river; but in fuch a direction, 
that whether the tide ebbs or flows, the pouch of 
the net goes with the ftream. The Sturgeon thus 
caught, v;hile in the water, is one of the mofl 
powerful of the finny tribe, and often tears the 
net to pieces that enclofes it; but, the inflant it's 
head is raifed above water, all it's activity and 
ftrength ceafes; it then proves a lifelefs, fpiritlefs 
lump; and tamely fuffers itfelf to be dragged on 
fhore. It has, however, been judged expedient to 
draw this fifh gently to land; for, when ftimu- 
lated by any unnecefTary violence, the legs of the 
fiihermen are fometimes broken by a fingle flounce 
of it's tail. The mofl expert fifhers, therefore, 
when they have dragged it to the brink, keep it's 
head flill elevated, which prevents it from doing 
any mifchief vv'ith the hinder part of it's body : 
others, by a noofe, faflen the head and tail toge- 
ther; and thus, without immediately difpatching 
it, carry it to market, fhould one happen to be at 
no great diftance; or keep it till their number is, 
cornpleated for exportation. 
The flefh of the Sturgeon, when pickled, forms 
a well-known delicacy at the tables of the great 
throughout Europe? and in England it is more 
prized than in thofe countries where it is oftener 
caught. Fifhermen have two different methods 
of preparing it. The one is by cutting it longi- 
tudinally into flips; which being faked, are fuf- 
pended in the fun, in order to dry: the fifh, thus 
prepared, is fold in all the countries of the Le- 
vant, and fupplies the want of better provifion. 
The other method, which is ufually praflifed in 
Holland, and along the Ihores of the Baltic, is 
that of cutting the Sturgeon tranfverfely into fhort 
pieces, and pickling them in fmall barrels. This 
is the fort ufually fold in England; and of which 
great quantities came from the North, till the im- 
portation of it from North America was encou- 
raged . 
The roes of thefe fifh form a very lucrative 
branch of trade, under the name of caviar. This 
valued compofition is formed of the roes of all 
kinds 
