158 I'livsioi.ociY OF Mi.-t i.i> AMI M:I;VI:S. 



plants thai which, Hashing amid the roar of thunder, 

 illuminates the wide canopy i' heaven \\hich liinils 

 in>n to iron, and directs the silent recurring cour>e ot 

 the magnetic needle .-ill, like die varied hues of the 

 refracted ray of light, rld\v from one common source, 

 and all lilen 1 together into one eternal all-pervading 

 power.' 



3. All electric fishes are distinguished by the pos- 

 session of peculiar organs in which the el.-et rie discharge 

 originates. These resemble jiowerfnl batteries, Avhich 

 can be put in action by the will of the animal, and 

 Avliich then generate currents which, pas-ing through 

 the A\aler, meet and act upon other animals which 

 happen to be near, so that the latter may even be 

 thus killed. These electric /y/,//,x. as they are called, 

 are formed on the same plan in all the three above-in en- 

 tioned genera of fishes. They consist of a large number 

 of minute and delicate plates which, arranged .-ide by 

 side and enclosed in coverings of coiinei-iive tissue, 

 form the whole organ. In the Torpedo these organs 

 lie flat on either side of the. vertebral column. In the 

 (i't/iiin<>(tiH and the Malopterurus they are arranged 

 longitudinally; and in the latter they form a closed 

 lube, in which the animal is concealed, its head and 

 tail, as it were, alone projecting. The separate plates 

 of which the organ consists are arranged, therefore, 

 horizontally in the 7'/'/" 'In, vert ically in t lie '///'" ""/"* 

 and Mnln/'/i'i-itriix. Kadi of the-e plates consists of 



an extremely delicate membrane which, when the organ 

 isinastateof activity, exhibits positive elecl nVity on the 



one side, negative on the other. The currents of the 

 numerous plates combine as in a bat t cry, and (hus all 

 together atl'onl a very j owerful current. With each 



