. PHENOMENA OF THE TORPEDO. 191 



Torpedo* the Gymnotus electricus, the Silurus electricus, 

 the Tetrodon electricus, and the Trichiurus electricus. Two 

 only of these, the torpedo and the gymnotus, have been 

 carefully examined ; and the first, in particular, having been 

 the object of numerous researches, will be the special sub- 

 ject of our lecture. 



Electric Phenomena of the Torpedo. It we grasp a living 

 torpedo with the hands, a strong shock is felt in the wrists 

 and arms, like that produced by a voltaic pile of from a 

 hundred to a hundred and fifty elements, charged with salt 

 and water. If we continue to hold the animal between the 

 hands, the shocks succeed each other, sometimes with so 

 much rapidity that it soon becomes impossible to sustain 

 them ; but after the lapse of a certain time the animal loses 

 its vivacity, and the shocks become less energetic, even 

 when we may have taken the precaution to hold the animal 

 in a vessel filled with salt water. Direct contact with the 

 animal is not requisite, as the shock is sufficiently strong to 

 be felt without it. The [Neapolitan] fishermen are well 

 acquainted with this fact, and learn the presence of the 

 torpedo amongst the shoal in their nets by the shocks which 

 they experience, especially in the arms, when they wash 

 the captured fishes by dashing bucketfuls of water over 

 them. In the water containing the torpedo the shock is 

 felt at considerable distances. The animal appears to be 

 endowed with this faculty to enable it to kill the fishes on 

 which it feeds. 



Identity of the Power of the Torpedo and that of Elec- 



* Under the Linnean name of Raia Torpedo have bee n confounded 

 several distinct species rovv referred to the genus Torpedo. Three species 

 of torpedo are found in the Italian seas; viz. T. Galvani, T. Narce, and 

 T. Nobiliana. The first two were included under the Linnean name of 

 Raia Torpedo. The torpedo whose electric tl organs were described by 

 Hunter was the T. Gukani.J. P. 



