224 CARTILAGINOUS FISHES. 



bur he foon finds that there is no part of its body without fpinesj and 

 no way of feizing the animal, but by the little fin at the end of the tail. 



The Fireflare is dreaded by the boldefc and mofi: experienced fifher* 

 men; infiifting a terrible wound, attended with dangerous fymptoms ; 

 but it cannot bepoifonous, as the fpinehas no fheath to preferve the fup- 

 pofed venom on its furface j nor has the animal a gland to feparatethe 

 noxious fluid ; the fpine is fixed to the tail, as a quill to the tail of a fowl, 

 and is annually fhed in the fame manner. 



The body of the Torpedo is almoft circular, and thicker than others 

 of the ray kind; the fkin is foft, fmooth, yellowifh, marked, as all the 

 kind, with large annular fpots; the eyes very fmall ; the tail tapering to 

 a point; weighs from feven to fifteen pounds. Rcdi found one of twenty- 

 four pounds. 



The fhock of this fiOi proceeds from an animal eleftricicy, which ic 

 has a power of ftoring up, and difcharging. The fhocks, and dura- 

 tion of the pain, are like the ele<5tric : but how the animal contrives to 

 renew the charge, how it is prevented from evaporating ic on contiguous 

 objefls, how it is originally procured, are difficulties. As its Itrength 

 ccafes, the force of its (hock diminifhes, and when dead isdeftroyed j it 

 may be handled or eaten with perfect fecurity : when immediately taken 

 out of the fea, its force is very great, and not only affefbs the hand, bur, 

 if even touched with a flick, the perfon finds himfelf fometimes affefled. 

 It appears that the Torpedo has an apparatus under the fkin, entirely for 

 this purpofe; v/hich, like theeledric battery, is an affemblageof ftrength, 

 formed from various fmaller powers : thefe, difcharged at once, give an 

 exceeding fmart Ihock : while earth and water, as well as air, are replete 

 with the electric fluid, we may confider them as furnifhing thofe ftore* 

 which this creature, by its extraordinary qualities, has the power o( con^r 

 dueling. The ufes of this power feem to b^tfirji, the numbing its ene- 

 ^nies when they attempt to feize \t\'fecondly, numbing its prey, as it paffes 

 over. It is frequent in Torbay. Brings forth its young in September. 

 Seems to be capable of fuperfoetation. The Crab and Sea-Leech annoy 

 them. Some weigh eighty pounds. Godignus, in his Hiftory of Abyf- 

 finia, carries this quality to a mod ridiculous excefs: he tells us of one 

 of thefe that was put into a bafljet among a number of dead filhes and 

 thai the next morning the people, to their utter aftonifhment, perceived 

 that the Torpedo had actually nuynhed the dead fifl^es into life again. 



There are other filh poflefled of this numbing quality, which has ac- 

 quired them the name of the Torpedo. Thefe are defcribed by Atkins 

 ijijid Moor*^> ^^ found in great abm)d^ncc along the coaft of Africa. They 



