26 ; BULLETIN OF THE LIVERPOOL MUSEUMS. 
the fish’s tactile oral fringe. The worm once discovered disappears in a 
flash down the cat-fish’s throat by suction, and is usually, not seen again, 
although sometimes it is brought up to be partially masticated. On the 
other hand, the presence of a young trout in the tank, is not, it would seem, 
detected in the same way, or so quickly as a worm or a fragment of liver. 
It more often discovers itself to the Malapterwrus, by coming in contact 
with its body, when it is instantly partially disabled by an electric discharge, 
and pounced upon, when it likewise disappears in the same manner as 
the worm. 
Electric fishes are very pugnacious and require to be kept isolated 
in separate tanks. Although supposed to be immune to each other’s 
electrical discharges, the following observation would seem to throw some 
doubt on whether this be really the case. On one occasion the partition 
between two halves of a tank, each containing a Malapterurus, becoming 
faulty, two strong and healthy fishes managed to get together, and were 
found, by the night watchman, on his hourly rounds, fighting with each 
other. Adjusting the partition, he returned the combatants to their 
separate cells. On his return, however, an hour later, he found the 
barrier had again slipped, and both fishes were in the same compartment, 
but one was dead. On examination no external marks of violence were 
visible, and we can only suppose that the stronger fish had killed its 
neighbour by a powerful electric shock. 
The specimens we have received—most of them about 6 or 7 inches 
long—have rarely, though in excellent health, grown much after their 
arrival ; yet in their native state they attain to a considerable size. One 
individual, now in the Derby Museum, which died, en rowte last year, 
measures two feet four inches in length, and weighs about ten pounds, 
which, according to Kroo boys interrogated at the Museum, is not one of 
the largest. On the Nana Kroo River they give to the Electric-fish the 
name of ‘Ntobo.’ It lives in the mud, and is caught easily by baiting a 
hook with the fleshy exterior of the palm-nut (EHlais guineensis) of which 
it appears to be fond, and of which it will eat, sparingly, on board ship 
during transport. The natives of West Africa dread to enter the rivers 
in which the Melapterwrus abounds, as they allege that the shock, from a 
full grown specimen, will often prove fatal. 
It is not surprising to find that the unusual, incomprehensible, and alarming 
power inherent in this fish has been turned to account by the ‘ Medicine 
Man.’ According to the Kroo-men it is an old sorceress who first obtains 
the ‘power’ from the fish by cooking it with various ingredients of her 
pharmacopeia. From her the ‘Juju-man’ obtains it, by partaking of her 
brew, but he must never disclose, under pain of the medicine failing at the 
critical period, the name of the woman under whose incantations it has 
been prepared. Before going forth to war, men are made strong and brave, 
either by being rubbed by the Juju-man with the Sorceress’ Medicine ; 
or, by holding under his direction a fish in each hand till it dies, when the 
‘virtue’ will be found to have entered into them, and rendered them 
irresistable, and immune to harm from any flying missile. 
Recent acquisitions by the Mayer Museum. 
1; Cypriote Antiquities. —In the month of March last the Committee 
obtained, by purchase, a small but interesting, collection of Cypriote 
Antiquites. It consists of good specimens of a. Red-polished, and white- 
painted Ware, and Sculptures and Terra-cottas of Bronze Age (including 
the period of Mykenaean importations), from before 2000 B.C. (xiith 
Dynasty) to about 1000 B.C.; 6, Red, Bucchero, and white-painted Ware 
