576 THE OCEAN WORLD. 



have been repeated here. If we place ourselves upon isolated supports, 

 and take hold of a metallic rod, a shock is received; but no shock is 

 received, on the other hand, if the fish is touched with a glass rod, 

 or one covered with wax. Humboldt and Bonpland repeated this 

 experiment many times, with decisive results. The electric organ 

 has been carefully described by these observers. The organs extend 

 from under the tail, occupying nearly one-half of the thickness. It is 

 divided into four longitudinal bundles of muscles, the upper ones 

 large, the two smaller below, and against the base of the anal fin. 

 Each bundle consists of many parallel membranous plates, placed 

 closely together and very nearly horizontal. These plates abut in one 

 part on the skin, in another on the mean vertical plane of the fish. 

 They are united to each other by an infinity of smaller plates, placed 

 either vertically or transversely. The smaller prismatic and trans- 

 versal canals, intercepted by those two orders of plates, are filled with 

 gelatinous matter. All this organic apparatus receives many nerves, 

 and presents, in many respects, an arrangement nearly analogous to 

 that of the torpedoes. 



Of the Muranidce, we find the Sea-Eel (Murtena helena}. It is a 

 serpent-like fish, of cylindrical form and delicate proportions, but 

 strong, flexible, and active, swimming in waving, undulating move- 

 ments in the water, just as a serpent creeps on dry land. The Sea- 

 Eels have no pectoral fin, the dorsal and anal fin are re-united in the 

 tail fin. A branchial opening is observable on each side of the body. 

 Murana helena (Fig. 376), which is an inhabitant of the Mediterranean, 

 has only a single row of teeth upon each jaw. It attains the length 

 of forty to fifty inches. It loves to bask in the hollows of rocks, 

 approaching the coast in spring-time. It feeds on crabs and small 

 fishes, seeking eagerly for polyps. The voracity of these fishes is 

 such, that when other food fails they begin to nibble at each other's 

 tails. 



The sea-eels are caught with rod and line, or by lines and ground- 

 bait, but their instinct is such that they often escape. When they 

 have swallowed a hook they often cut the line with their teeth, or 

 they turn upon it and try, by winding it round some other object, to 

 strain or break it. When caught in a net, they quickly choose some 

 mesh through which their body can glide. 



Those who have studied the classics will remember the passionate 

 love with which the Roman gourmet regarded these fishes. In the 

 days of the Empire enormous sums were expended in keeping up 

 the ponds which enclosed them, and the fish themselves were 

 multiplied to such an extent that Caesar, on the occasion of one of 



