CARTILAGINOUS FISHES. 2?) 



But to know even the effects is wisdom. Certain it is that th& 

 powers of this animal seem to decline with its vigour ; for as its 

 strength ceases, the force of the shock seems to diminish ; till, at last, 

 when the fish is dead, the whole power is destroyed, and it may be 

 handled or eaten with perfect security ; on the contrary, when imme- 

 diately taken out of the sea, its force is very great, and not only affects 

 the hand, but if even touched with a stick, the person finds himself 

 sometimes affected. This power, however, is not to be extended to 

 the degree that some would have us believe ; as reaching the fisher- 

 men at the end of the line, or numbing fishes in the same pond. 

 Godignus, in his history of Abyssinia, carries this quality to a most 

 ridiculous excess ; he tells us of one of these that was put into a bas- 

 ket among a number of dead fishes, and that the next morning the 

 people, to their utter astonishment, perceived, that the torpedo had 

 actually numbed the dead fishes into life again. 



To conclude, it is generally supposed that the female torpedo is 

 much more powerful than the male. Lorenzini, who has made seve- 

 ral experiments upon this animal, seems convinced that its power 

 wholly resides in two thin muscles that cover a part of the back. 

 These he calls the trembling fibres ; and he asserts that the anima/ 

 may be touched with safety in any other part. It is now known also 

 that there are more fish than this of the ray kind, possessed of the 

 numbing quality, which has acquired them the name of the torpedo. 

 These are described by Atkins and Moore, and found in great aj?un- 

 dance along the coast of Africa. They are shaped like a mackarel, 

 except that the head is much larger ; the effects of these seem also to 

 differ in some respects. Moore talks of keeping his hand upon the 

 animal ; which in the ray torpedo it is actually impossible to do. 

 " There was no man in the company," says he, "that. could bear to 

 keep his hand on this animal the twentieth part of a minute, it gives 

 him so great pain ; but upon taking the hand away, the numbness 

 vvent off, and all was well again. This numbing quality continued 

 in this torpedo even after it was dead ; and the very skin was still pos- 

 sessed of its extraordinary powers till it became dry." Condamine 

 informs us of a fish possessed of the powers of the torpedo, of a shape 

 very different from the former, and every way resembling a lamprey. 

 This animal, if touched by the hand, or even with a stick, instantly 

 benumbs the hand and arm to the very shoulder ; and sometimes the 

 man falls down under the blow. These animals, therefore, must af- 

 fect the nervous system in a different manner from the former, both 

 vi*.h respect to the manner and the intention ; but how this effect in 

 Brought, we must be content to dismiss in obscurity. 



