Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 09.djvu/164

LEFT STUBGEON 130 STURM STURGEON (Acipenser), a genus of ganoid fishes of the family Acipenseridae, order Cho-tidrostei. The Chondrostei are ganoids without ganoid scales, the skin being either naked or with bony plates, as in the sturgeon. The skull is car- tilaginous, but covered externally with bony plates belonging to the skin. The tail is asymmetrical or heterocercal, and the gelatinous notochord persists in the center of the vertebral column through- out life. Spiracles like those of sharks and skates are present in some genera. The distinguishing features of acipenser are these: the body is long and narrow, and the skin is provided with five longi- tudinal rows of bony shields, each bear- ing a projecting keel. One row of these bony plates is along each side of the body, one along the back, and one on each side of the ventral surface. The skin between these rows of plates is naked, but contains minute scales which give it a rough surface. The head pro- there is no copulation, the ova being laid and fertilized on the bottom of the upper parts of rivers, like those of the salmon. The food of sturgeons consists of worms, Crustacea, and mollusks, which they seek by routing in the sea bottom with their snouts. STURGIS, RUSSELL, an American architect; born in Baltimore co., Md., 1836, was graduated at the College of the City of New York in 1856; studied architecture in Europe, and practiced till 1880, when he went to Europe to reside, because of failing health. In 1885, however, he became active in writing and lec- turing on art subjects and later edited the art sections in the "CentUx^y" and "International" dictionaries, and "Johnson's Universal Cyclopaedia," and conducted the "Dictionary of Architec- tui-e" in 1901. He was the author of "Manual of Jarves Collection of Early STURGEON A — Shovel Nosed Sturgreon B — Common Sturgeon jects into a- flat, pointed snout, provided with fleshy tentacles or barbels; and on the under surface of this snout, some dis- tance behind its extremity, is the mouth, which is without teeth, and capable of protrusion. The gill opening is wide. There are two pairs of fins, the pelvic being situated a long way back, close to the anus. There ai-e two median fins, one dorsal and one ventral, both near the tail. The fin-rays are jointed and flexible. Spiracles are present behind the eyes. The air bladder communicates with the gullet. There are many species of sturgeon, all confined to the Northern Hemisphere. They live in the sea and great lakes, and ascend the great rivers. All are of con- sideraljle size, and supply valuable com- modities, for which they are regularly captured on a large scale. These com- modities are their flesh, which is pala- table and wholesome, their roe (caviare), and their air bladders, from which isinglass is made. The eggs are small and numerous, like those of bony fishes; Italian Pictures," "Classical Architec- ture on the Shores of the Mediterra- nean" and numerous critical monographs on American architects. He died Feb. 11, 1909. STURM, JOHANNES, a German edu- cational reformer; born in Sleiden, Luxemburg, Oct. 1, 1507. In his 15th year he was sent to school at Liege and continued his studies at the College of Louvain. He devoted himself to ac- quiring a Latin style and studied Cicei-o assiduouslv. In 1529 he went to Paris, and at first gave himself to medicine, but returned to the study of Cicero, on whom he gave courses of lectures in the College Royal. Besides lecturing on Cicero he also taught dialectics, and had for one of his students Petrus Ramus. When a request was made to him (1536) by the au- thorities of Strassburg to come to their assistance in reorganizing the education of their town, Sturm accepted their offer. Both in the religion and politics