FISHES AND FISHIXG. 167 



to there being a number of genera of electric fish ; look 

 at the " Catalogue of Apodal Fish in the British Mu 

 seum," the article "Anguillidse" the eel species; 

 no doubt these are for the most part hybrids. 



In the "Annual Eegister," of 1796, referring to 

 Bancroft's " Natural History of Guiana," then just 

 published, is the observation, that these torporific fish 

 have no scales. I am not aware whether they have 

 been examined microscopically. 



The natives in those parts where the gymnoti are 

 found, avoid as much as possible receiving a shock 

 from them. It must be a curious scene, and concert, 

 if several of the women of Calabar wash their chil 

 dren at the same time, and in proximity to each other ; 

 they must, in the operation of the shocks the children 

 receive from the malapterurus, desire not only to 

 strengthen their limbs, but to expand their lungs by 

 the screaming to which they would, no doubt, give 

 vent. 



The common eel is variously estimated as an article 

 of food, and anciently there were supposed to be only 

 four different species of them, viz., the silver eel, the 

 greenish or grig, or greg eel, the red-finned eel, and 

 the blackish eel ; this last has a broader, larger, and 

 flatter head, and is considered the worst. The Dutch 

 eels are of this last class. Eels out of clear rivers are 

 most esteemed, and those from Salisbury are parti- 



