NATURAL HISTORY. 



801 



*' A wet hempen cord, bein^ fas- 

 tened to the iron bolt, was held in 

 the hand above the water, while the 

 bolt touched the torpedo, and the 

 shocks were obtained through both 

 these substances. 



" A less powerful torpedo, sus- 

 pended in a small net, being fre- 

 quently dipped into water, and 

 raised again, gave, from the surface 

 of the water, slight shocks through 

 the net to the person holding it. 



" These experiments in water 

 manifested, that bodies immersed in 

 that element might be affected by 

 immediate contact with the torpedo ; 

 that the shorter the circuit in which 

 the electricity moved, the greater 

 Mould be the eft'ect ; and that the 

 shock was communicable, from the 

 animal in water, to persons in air, 

 through some substances. 



" How far harpoons and nets, 

 consisting of wood and hemp, could 

 in like circnrastances, as it has been 

 frequently asserted, convey the ef- 

 fect, was not so particularly tried, 

 as to enable us to confirm it. I 

 mention the omission, in hopes some 

 one may be inducid to determine the 

 point by cxpresis trial. 



" We convinced ourselves, on 

 former occasions, that the accurate 

 Kasmpfcr, who so well describes the 

 effect of the torpedo, and happily 

 compares it with lia;htning, was de- 

 ceived in the circumstance that it 

 could be avoided by holding in the 

 breath, which we found no more to 

 prevent the shock of the torpedo, 

 when he was disposed to give it, 

 than it would j)rcvcnt the shocks of 

 the Leyden phial. 



" Several persons, forming as ma- 

 ny distinct circims, can be aifectcd 

 by one stroke of the animal, as well 

 as when joined in a single circuif. — 

 For instance, four persons toucliing 

 separately h'm upper and lower sur- 



VoL. XLVI. 



faces, were all affected ; two persons 

 likewise, after the electricity had 

 passed through a wire into a basoa 

 of water, transmitted it from thence 

 into two distinct channels, as their 

 sensation convinced them, into ano- 

 ther bason of water, from whence it 

 was conducted, probably in an united 

 state, by a single wire. How much 

 farther the effect might thus be di- 

 vided and subdivided into different 

 channels, was not determined ; but 

 it was found to be proportionately 

 weakened by multiplying these cir- 

 cuits, as it had been by extending 

 the single circuit." 



The body of the torpedo is of a 

 somewhat circular form, perfectly 

 smooth, slightly convex above, and 

 marked along each side of the spine 

 by several small pores or foramina t 

 the colour of the upper surface is usu- 

 ally a pale reddish brown, sometimes 

 marked by five, large, equidistant^ 

 circular dusky spots, with paler cen- 

 tres; the under surface is whitish, or 

 flesh-coloured. The torpedo, how- 

 ever, is observed to vary considera- 

 bly in the cast and intensity of its 

 colours. The general length of* the 

 torpedo seems to be about eighteen 

 inches, or two feet, but it is occa- 

 sionally found of far larger dimen- 

 sions, specimens having been taken 

 on our ovin coasts of the weight of 

 fifty, sixty, and even eighty pounds. 

 A specimen, weighing fifty-three 

 pounds, was found, according to Mr. 

 Pennant, to measure four feet in 

 length, and two and a half in breadth: 

 the head and body, which were in- 

 distinct, were nearly round, about 

 two inches thick in the middle, atte- 

 nuating to extreme thinness on the; 

 edges: below the body, the ventral 

 fins formed on each side one I'ourth 

 of a circle : the two dorsal fins were 

 placed on the trunk of the tail : the 

 eyes were small, placed near each 



3 F other ; 



