sue 
kinds of Sturgeon, and in mofl" European coun- 
tries is extremely admired. In England, indeed, 
it is now feldom feen at the tables of the polite or 
the luxurious; but, among the Turks, the Greeks, 
and the Venetians, it is ftill a confiderable mer- 
chandize. 
Caviar fometimcs refembles foft foap in confif- 
tence; but it is of a brown uniform colour; and is 
eaten, as cheefe, with bread. It is made in the 
fubfequent manner — The fpawn is taken out of 
the fi(h; and the fmall conne£ling mtmbrane be- 
ing fcparated from it, they wafh it in vint-gar, and 
afterward fpread it on a table to dry. They then 
put it into a vefiel with fait, breaking the foawn 
with their hands, not with a peftie. This done, 
they put it into a canvas bag, permitting the li- 
quor to drain from it. Laftly, they rub it in a 
tub that has holes in it's bottom, fo that every 
drop of moifture may be evacuated ; and after- 
wards prefs it down, and cover it up clofe for 
ufe. 
It is evident that the Sturgeon was known to 
the ancients ; for the Onifkos of Dorion, as quoted 
by Athensus, entirely agrees with this fifh : but 
whether the Accipenfer of Pliny and Ovid is fy- 
nonymous with the Sturgeon, is a matter not ea- 
fily determined. Both thefe writers reprefent it 
as a foreign fifh ; though it is well known to be 
found in the Mediterranean, and even in the 
mouth of the Tiber, at certain feafons. 
The manner of the Sturgeon's breeding is an 
exception among cartilaginous fifhcs ; being, 
like the bony filh, ovivarous, and fpawning in 
winter. 
STURNUS. See Starling. 
SUBBUTEO. A term by which fome orni- 
thologifts exprefs that fpecies of hawk commonly 
denominated the ring-tail ; the male of which has 
been fuppofcd ro be the hen-harrier. It is alfo 
called pygargus accipiter. 
SUCKER. An appellation fometimes given 
to the remora. 
SUCKER. A name for the cyclopterus, of 
which there are feveral varieties. The diftin- 
guifliing chara6ters of this kind are ; that the body 
is thick, and the back arched ; that the ventral 
fins are united ; and that there are four branchio- 
llegous rays. 
Sucker, Common, or L.ump-Fish ; the Cy- 
clopterus Lumpus of Linnsus. This curious filh 
is about feven pounds v/cight, and nineteen in- 
ches long. The fiiape of the body refembles that 
of the bream, being deep, and very thick ; the 
back is fharp and elevated ; and the beily is de- 
prefTed. The irides are of a red colour ; the lips, 
mouth, and tongue, are of a deeper red ; the jaws 
are lined with innumerable minute teeth ; and the 
tongue is very thick. A rov/ of large bony tu- 
bercles extends along the ridge of the back ; from 
above the eye to within a fmall ipace of the tail, 
there is another row ; beneath that a third, com- 
mencing at the gills ; and on each fide of the 
belly there is a fourth row, confifhing of five tu- 
bercles like the other. The whole fkin is befet 
v/ith fmall tubercles. On the upper part of the 
back there is a thick ridge, which has improperly 
been called a fin, being deftitute of fpines ; be- 
neath that is placed the dorfal fin, of a brown ifh 
hue, reaching nearly to the tail ; and on the belly, 
exadlly oppofite, there is another of the fame form. 
The belly is of a bright crimfon colour ; the pec- 
toral fins are large and broad, almofl uniting at 
sue 
their bafes ; and beneath thefe is the member by 
which it adheres to the rocks. This confifts of 
an oval aperture, furrounded with a flcfhy muf- 
cular and obtufe foft fubftance, edged with fnail 
threaded appendages, which concur as fo many 
clafpers. By means of this apparatus the animal 
adheres with amazing power to whatever itpleafes. 
As a proof of it's tenacity, a fifh of this fpecies, 
juft caught, and thrown into a pail of water, has 
been known to fix itfelf fo firmly to the bottom, 
as not to be difengaged from it's hold, though 
lifted by the tail, together with the vefTel and v/a- 
ter over it. 
Thefe fifh are very plentiful, during the fpring 
quarter, on the coafl of Sutherland, near the Ord 
of Caithnefs. The feals, which fwarm at the bot- 
tom, prey greatly on them, leaving their fkins 
pretty entire, numbers of which float afhore every 
feafon. It is eafy to diftinguifh thofe fituations 
where feals are devouring Suckers, or any other 
unfluous fifhes, by the fmoothnefs of the water 
immediately over the fpot, occafioned by the 
great quantity of oil difcharged from their bodies. 
During the months of April and May, prodi- 
gious numbers of thefe fifh are feen in the Green- 
land feas, to which they refort in order to fpawn. 
Their roes are remarkably large; and on thefe the 
Greenlanders, after boiling them to a pulp, make 
a hearty meal. Their flefh likewife is extremely 
fat; which proves a powerful recommendation to 
the natives, who admire all oily food. 
The Sucker is fometimes eaten in England, 
when flewed like carp; but it is neither firm nor 
well-tafled. 
Sucker, Unctuous; the Cyclopterus Liparis 
of Linn^us. This fifh is alfo called the fea- 
fnail, from the foft and un6tuous texture of it's 
body, refembling that of the land-fnail. It is al- 
mofl tranfparent, and eafily difTolves and melts 
away. It is generally found near the mouths of 
large rivers. The length is five inches; and the 
fhape of the body is round, but comprefled fide- 
ways near the tail. The colour, when frefh taken, 
is a pale brown, fometimes finely flreaked with a 
darker hue. The belly is white, and very pro- 
tuberant; the head is large, thick, and round; 
and the mouth is deflitute of teeth, but the rough- 
nefs of the jaws fupplies their place. The orifice 
of the gills is very fmall ; and the eyes are like- 
wife fmall. The branchioftegous rays are fix in 
number; and the peftoral fins, which are broad, 
thin, and tranfparent, almofl unite under the 
throat. The firft ray next the throat is very long, 
extending far beyond therefl; and is as fine as a 
hair. Over the bafe of each there is a fort of 
operculum, or lid, terminating in a point, which 
is capable of being raifed or depreffed at pleafure. 
Behind the head rifes the dorfal fin, extending 
quite to the end of the tail ; and the ventral fin be- 
gins at the anus, and unites with the other at the 
tail. 
Beneath the throat of this fifli there is a round 
depreffion of a whitifh colour, like the mark of a 
feal, furrounded with twelve fmall pale yellow tu- 
bera; by means of which it is probable the Unc- 
tuous Sucker adheres to flones, like the other fpe- 
cies. 
Sucker, Jura. This fpecies is fometimes 
found on the Cornifh coafl, but more frequently 
near the ifie of Jura. It's length is about four 
inches. The fkin is without fcales, flippcry, and 
of a dufl<y colour; the body is taper; the nofe 
grows 
