212 THE GYMNOTUS ELECTRICUS. 



seizing its prey, is too graphic and important to be 

 omitted. 



" The Gymnotus can stun and kill fish which are in 

 very various positions to its own body ; but on one day, 

 when I saw it eat, its action seemed to me to be 

 peculiar. A live fish, about five inches in length, 

 caught not half a minute before, was dropped into the 

 tub. The Gymnotus instantly turned round in such a 

 manner as to form a coil, inclosing the fish, the latter 

 representing a diameter across it ; a shock passed, and 

 there, in an instant, was the fish struck motionless, as 

 if by lightning, in the midst of the waters, its side 

 floating to the light. The Gymnotus made a turn or 

 two to look for its prey, which, having found, he bolted, 

 and then went about searching for more. A second 

 smaller fish was given him, which being hurt in the 

 conveyance, showed but little signs of life, and this he 

 swallowed at once, apparently without shocking it. The 

 coiling of the Gymnotus round its prey had, in this case, 

 every appearance of being intentional on its part, to 

 increase the force of the shock, and the action is evi- 

 dently well suited for that purpose, being in full 

 accordance with the well-known laws of the discharge 

 of currents in masses of conducting matter ; and though 

 the fish may not always put this artifice in practice, it is 

 very probable he is aware of its advantages, and may 

 resort to it in cases of need."* 



Animal electricity has been proved to be of the same 

 character as that derived from other sources. The 

 shock and the spark are like those of the machine ; and 



* Experimental Researches on Electricity. Series xv. Consult 

 Sir Humphry Davy : An Account of some Experiments on the Tor- 

 pedo. Philosophical Transactions, 1829, p. 15. John Davy, M.D., 

 F.RS. : An Account of some Experiments and Observations on the 

 Torpedo, ibid., 1832, p. 259 ; and the same author's Observations 

 on the Torpedo, with an Account of some Additional Experiments on 

 its Electricity; and Matteucci, Bibliothegue Universelle, 1837, 

 vol. xii. p. 174. 



