58 MEMOIR OF JOHN HUNTER. 



Dr William Hunter, This afforded his brother an 

 opportunity of examining the structure of that ani- 

 mal. After this time two other elephants died in the 

 Queen's Menagerie, and both of them came under 

 Mr Hunter's examination. 



In 1774, he published in the Philosophical Trans- 

 actions an account of certain receptacles of air in 

 birds, which communicate with the lungs, and are 

 lodged both in the soft parts and in the hollow bones 

 of these animals. He also published this year a 

 paper on the Gillaroo Trout, commonly called in 

 Ireland the Gizzard-trout. 



In 1775, several animals of that species called the 

 Gymnotus electricus of Surinam having been brought 

 alive to this country, excited the greatest curiosity 

 by their electrical properties. Mr Walsh being de- 

 sirous of pursuing his investigations in animal elec- 

 tricity, made a number of experiments on the living 

 animals ; and to give his friend Mr Hunter an op- 

 portunity of examining them, he purchased those 

 that died. An anatomical account of their electiical 

 organs was drawn up by Mr Hunter, and published 

 in the Philosophical Transactions. In the same vo- 

 lume, there is another paper by him, containing an 

 account of his experiments on animals and vegetables, 

 respecting their power of producing heat. 



In 1776, he read the first of the Croonian Lec- 

 tures delivered by him, choosing Muscular Action 

 for his subject, and prosecuting it through a series 



