CLASS PISCES. 611 



against each other like the combs of bees, subdivided 

 by horizontal diaphragms into small cells full of 

 mucous matter, and abundantly supplied with branches 

 from the eighth pair of nerves. It is in this appa- 

 ratus that the electric or galvanic power resides, 

 which has rendered these fishes so celebrated, and 

 given them their name. They are capable of giving 

 very violent shocks to those who touch them, and 

 probably also make use of this method to stun their 

 prey. Their body is smooth, their teeth small and 

 sharp. 



We have several species of them, confounded by 

 Linnaeus and most of his successors, under the name 

 of Rata torpedo \ 



Torpedo narke, (the numbing torpedo) Riss. Bl. 

 122. ; Rondel. 358 and 362. Varies in the number of 

 its spots from five to one ; has no fleshy dentations 

 at the edges of its air-holes. 



Torp. galvanii, (the galvanic torpedo) Riss. Rondel. 

 363. 1. With seven fleshy dentations around its air- 

 holes, and is sometimes of an uniform brown, some- 

 times marbled, or punctated, or spotted with blackish. 



There are several others in foreign seas 2 . 



1 The Torpille vulgaire a cinques taches. Torpedo narke, Riss. 

 Rondel. 358 and 362. 



Torpedo unimaculata, Riss. pi. iii. f. 3. 

 T. marmorata, Id. lb. f. 4. Rondel. 362. 

 T. galvanii, Id. lb. f. 5. Rondel. 363. f. 1. 



2 Temeree, Russ. I. Nallatemeree, Id. 2. The Raie Chinoise, 

 Lacep. I. ii. 2. One or the other is the Rata timlei, Bl. Schn. 359. 



r r 2 



