ELECTRICAL GYMNOTE. 501 



now mention the appearances of a number of small cross bands, 

 annular divisions, or rather rugae of the skin of the body. They 

 reach across the body down to the base of the carina on each side; 

 those that cross the back seem to terminate at the lateral lines, 

 where new rings take their rise, not exactly in the same line, and 

 run down to the carina. This gives the fish somewhat of a worm- 

 like appearance ; and indeed it seems to have some of the proper- 

 ties of this tribe, for it has a power of lengthening or shortening its 

 body to a certain degree, for its own conveniency, or agreeably to 

 its own inclination. I have seen this specimen, which I have mea- 

 sured three feet eight inches, shorten himself to three feet two 

 inches; but besides this power of lengthening or shortening his 

 body, he can swim forwards or backwards with apparently equal 

 ease to himself, which is another property of the vermicular tribe. 

 When he swims forwards, the undulations or wavy motions of the 

 fin and carina begin from the upper part, and move downwards ; 

 but when he swims backwards, and the tail goes foremost, the un- 

 dulations of the fin begin at the extremity of the tail or fin, and pro- 

 ceed in succession from that backwards to the upper part of the 

 body : in either case he swims equally swift. Every now and then 

 the fish lays himself on one side, as it were, to rest himself, and 

 then the four divisions of the body above mentioned are very dis- 

 tinctly seen, viz. the vermiform appearance of the two upper divi- 

 sions ; the retiform app< arance of the carina, and the last or dark, 

 coloured fin, whose rays seem to be exceedingly soft and flexible, 

 and entirely at the command of the strong muscular carina. When 

 he is taken out of the water and laid on his belly, the carina and 

 fin lie on one side, in the same manner as the ventral fin of the 

 tetraodon does, when he creeps on the ground, I have been the 

 longer and more particular in the description of the external struc- 

 ture of this animal's body, because I think, as it is of a most sin. 

 gular nature, and endowed with some amazing properties, even the 

 most minute circumstance I was able to observe relating to it 

 should be mentioned. The power it has of giving an electrical 

 shock to any person, or to any number of persons who join hands 

 together, the extreme person on each side touching the fish, is its 

 most singular and astonishing property. The five we have here are 

 possessed of this power in a very great degree, and communicate 

 the shock to one person, or to any number of persons, either by 



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