SHAW’S GENERAL ZOOLOGY. 
Systema Naturz the synonyms ofthe con- 
ger and serpens. Under the conger, in- 
stead of giving the generic specific cha- 
racter, he has repeated verbatim that of 
his vulgaris, the murzna anguilla of 
Linnzus: to the serpens, he has attri- 
buted that which belongs to the ophis, 
and which he himself had actually trans- 
cribed.as such in the preceding page ®. 
The genera Synbranchus, Sphagebran- 
chus and Monopterus a!) agree with the 
murezna in having no pectoral fins. ‘The 
first differs from it in having only one 
spiracle, and the second in having two ; 
in both, placed beneath the neck. ‘The 
monopterus differs from all the three in 
having only a caudal fin, and in the po- 
sition of its nostrils, which are placed 
between or above the eyes, instead of be- 
ing, as in most fishes, before them. ‘The 
genus svnbranchus is taken up from Dr. 
Bloch, and has only two species, both na- 
tives of “Surinam. The sphagebranchus 
avid the monopterus have each only a 
single species. The former is adopted 
also from Bloch, and is conjectured by 
our author to be the murzna ceca of 
Linneus. Bloch’s specimen was received 
from Tranquebar. The latter, also a na- 
tive of the East Indies, is described by 
Cepede,from the MSS, of Commerson, by 
whom it was considered as a species of 
murena. We are inclined to think that 
Commerson was right in his judgment. 
The absence of pectoral fins is an ad- 
mirable generic character, appropriate, 
comprehensive and exclusive. The posi- 
tion and number of the spiracles, and the 
want of one or’more fins besides the pec- 
toral ones, afford excellent marks for spe- 
cific characters, or where they are found 
in more than one species, for a subdiyi- 
sion into families. It is to be lamented 
‘that there is no figure of the monopterus. 
To the genus gymnotus whose essen- 
tial generic character is the want of 4 
dorsal fin, two species are appended, from 
Gmelin’s edition of the Systema, which 
are furnished with that limb. For this 
Dr. Shaw apologizes, and pleads a com- 
pleat resemblance in every other respect; 
but the apology does not appear to us to 
be admissible. Generic characters, like 
statute laws, should never be infringed, 
as long as they are suffered to exist. If, 
by a change of circumstances, they be.~ 
¢ome inadequate to their original design, 
837 
they should, by all means, be repealed, 
and better substituted in their place. 
But while they continue apart of the esta- 
blished code, their authority should be 
sacred, Nothing places the imperfec- 
tion of natural history in a more striking 
light, than the frequent occurrence of 
such qualifying expressions as in most spen 
cies, most generally, &c. in generic charace 
ters. 
The account of the gymnotus electri« 
cus, the celebrated electrical eel, as it has 
been generally called, is curicus and ine 
structive. 
«* The peculiar species of electricity or gal- 
vanism, exerted at pleasure by this extraordi- 
nary animal, is such as greatly to surpass that 
of the torpedo, so longthe subject ofadmiration 
both in ancient and modern times, The elec: ° 
tric gymnotus is a native of the warmer re- 
gions of Africa and America, where it inha- 
bits the larger rivers, and is particularly found 
in those of Surinam: in Africa it is said 
chietiy to occur in the branches of the river 
Senegal, It is a fish of a disagreeable appear- 
ance, beanng a general resemblance to eat 
eel, though somewhat thicker in proportion, 
and ofa much darker colour, being commonly 
ofan uniform blackish brown. Itis usually seen 
of the length of 8 or 4 feet, but is said ‘to ar- 
rive at a far larger size, specimens occasional 
occurring of six, seven, or even of ten feet in 
length. It was first made known ta the phi- 
losophers of Europe about the year 1671, 
when its wonderful properties were announc- 
ed tothe French academy by Mons. Richer, 
one of the gentlemen sent out bythe academy. 
to conduct some athessacical observations 
jn Cayenne. This account, however, seenis 
to have been reccived with a degree of cautious 
seepticism by the major part of European na- 
turalists, and it was wot till towards the mid- 
dle of the late century that a full and general 
conviction appears to have taken place ; the 
observations of Mons. Condamine, Mr. In- 
gram, Mr. Gravesend, and others, then con- 
spiring to prove that the power of this animal 
consists in a species of real electricity, being 
conducted by similar conducting substances, 
and intercepted by others of an opposite na- 
ture. Thus, on touching the fish with the 
fingers, the same sensation is perceived as on 
touching a charged Vial ; being sometimes felt 
as far ag the elbows; and if touched by both 
hands, an electrick shock is conveyed through 
the breast in the usual manner. Fermin in 
particular, who during his residence in Su- 
rinam, had frequent opportunities of examin- 
ing the animal, demonstrated by experiment 
that fourteen slaves holding each other by the 
hands, received the shock at the same instant ; 
* Since the above was written, we have found the latter error mentioned in the table of 
eqrata, but the former remains unnoticed. 
SH3 
