724 



PISCES— TORPEDO. 



into the fish's belly, and pursues his blows with such success, that he leaves 

 the ravenous tyrant dead at the bottom ; he soon however returns, fixes the 

 fish's head in a noose, and drags him to shore, where he makes a noble 

 feast for the adjacent villages. 



Besides the above, there are also the blue shark, 1 long-tailed shark, basking 

 shark,- hammer-headed shark, 3 angel shark, 4 fox shark, 5 porbeagle shark, 6 and 

 others. 



THE TORPEDO. 7 



The body of this fish is almost circular, and thicker than others of the 

 same genus; the skin is soft, smooth, and of a dusky brown above, and 

 white underneath ; the eyes very small ; the tail tapering to a point ; and 

 the weight of the fish from a quarter to fifteen pounds. Redi found one 

 twentv-four pounds weight. The electrical rays are found in many parts 

 of the European seas. The fishermen often discover it in Torbay, and some- 

 times of eighty pounds weight. They are partial to sandy bottoms, in 

 about forty fathoms water, where they often bury themselves by flinging 

 the sand over them, by a quick napping of all the extremities. They bring 

 forth their young in autumn. To all outward appearance, the torpedo is 

 furnished with no extraordinary qualities; yet such is the unaccountable 

 power it possesses, that, the instant it is touched, it numbs not only the. 

 hand and arm, but sometimes also the whole body. The shock receive*", 

 resembles the stroke of an electrical machine ; sudden, tingling, and painful. 

 It is, in truth, electric. "The instant," says Kempfer, "I touched it with 

 my hand, I felt a terrible numbness in my arm, and as far up as the shoulder. 



1 Carcharias glaucus, Cuv. 

 6 Zygctna vulgaris, Cuv. 

 6 Carcharias vulpcs, Cuv. 



2 Selache maximus, Cuv. 



4 Squatina Icevis, Cuv. 



6 Samna cornubiensis, Cuv. 



7 The characteristics of the genus Torpedo are a hotly smooth, depressed, ohtuse before, 

 and nearly circular ; anterior border formed by productions of the snout, which extend 

 along the sides to meet the pectoral fins; five bronchial openings on each side, beneath; 

 electrical organs on the sides; teeth small, and pointed; tail short, and fleshy. 



