648 SUPPLEMENT ON 



feet animal, which, in proportion to its size, is so liberally 

 supplied with nerves ; nor do these nerves seem necessary for 

 any sensation which can be supposed to belong to the elec- 

 tric organs ; and with respect to action, there is no part of any 

 animal, however strong and constant its natural actions may 

 be, which has so great a proportion of nerves. 



If it be then probable, that these nerves are not necessary 

 for the purposes of sensation or action, may we not conclude 

 that they are subservient to the formation, collection, or 

 management, of the electric fluid, especially as it appears 

 evident from Mr. Walsh's experiments, and otherwise, that 

 the will of the animal does absolutely control the electric 

 powers of its body, which must depend on the energy of the 

 nerves. 



Independently of the fact of the electric shock being only 

 to be communicated during the life of the animal, Mr. Walsh 

 states expressly, that each effort of the animal to give the 

 shock is accompanied with a depression of his eyes, by which 

 also even his attempts to give it to nonconductors can be 

 observed, the animal at the same time being, with respect to 

 the rest of his body, in a great degree motionless, though not 

 wholly so, from which we may farther infer, that the shock, 

 when given, is matter of volition in the animal, a volition to 

 which the multitude of nerves in the electric organs is in all 

 probability subservient. 



The Torpedo immaculata has the body yellowish above, 

 with whitish starred dots, and a central spot of bright blue, 

 surrounded with a circle of gray. The fore part of the head 

 is emarginated. The eyes are reddish, and the tail long and 

 slender. The electric organs in this species are scarcely 

 visible, and the animal is capable of giving only very slight 

 shocks. The flesh of this species is whiter and much more 

 agreeable as food, than that of the other. It inhabits the flat 

 shores of Nice. 



