ELECTRICAL TORPEDO. 493 



Single shock may be his general volley. In the continued effect, 

 as well as in the instantaneous, his eyes, which are usually pro- 

 minent, are withdrawn into their sockets. 



" A large torpedo, very liberal of his shocks, being held with 

 both hands, by his electric organs, above and below, was briskly 

 plunged into water to the depth of a foot, and instantly raised an 

 equal height in air ; and was thus continually plunged aud raised, 

 as quick as possible, for the space of a minute. In the instant 

 his lower surface touched the water, in his descent, he alwayg 

 gave a violent shock ; and another, still more violent, in his 

 ascent ; both which shocks, but particularly the last, were accom- 

 panied with a writhing in his body, as if meant to force an escape. 

 Besides these two shocks from the surface of the water, which 

 may yet be considered as delivered in the air, he constantly gave 

 at least two when wholly in the air ; and as constantly one, and 

 sometimes two, when wholly in the water. The shocks in water 

 appeared, as far as sensation could decide, not to have near a 

 fourth of the force of those which took place at the surface of the 

 water, nor much more than a fourth of those entirely in air. 



M The shocks received in a certain time were not, on this oc- 

 casion, counted by a watch, as they had been on a former, when 

 fifty were delivered in a minute and a-half, by the animal in an 

 insulated and unagitated state : but from the quickness with which 

 the immersions were mde, it may be presumed there were full 

 twenty of these in a minute ; from whence the number of shocks 

 in that time must have amounted to above a hundred. This 

 experiment, therefore, while it discovered the comparative force 

 between a shock in water, and one in air ; and between a shock 

 delivered with greater exertion on the part of the animal, and one 

 with less, seemed to determine, that the charge of his organs with 

 electricity was effected in an instant, as well as the discharge. 



" The torpedo was then put into a flat basket, open at the top, 

 but secured by a net with wide meshes, and in this confinement 

 was let down into the water, about a foot below the surface : being 

 there touched through the meshes, with only a single finger, on 

 one of his electric organs, while the other hand was held at a 

 distance in the water, he gave shocks which were distinctly felt in 

 both hands. 



" The circuit for the passage of the effect being contracted to 



