502 FISHES. 



the immediate touch of the fish with the hand, or by the interven- 

 tion of any metalline rod. The keeper says that when first caught, 

 they could give a much stronger shock by a metalline conductor 

 than they can do at present. The person who is to receive the 

 shock must take the fish with both hands, at some considerable 

 distance asunder, so as to form the communication, otherwise he 

 will not receive it ; at least I never saw any one shocked from 

 taking hold of it with one hand only : though some have assured 

 me that they were shocked by laying one hand on him. I myself 

 have taken hold of the largest with one hand often, without ever 

 receiving a shock; but I never touched it with both hands, at a little 

 distance asunder, without feeling a smart shock. I have often re- 

 marked, that when it is taken hold of with one hand, and the other 

 hand is put into the water over its body, without touching it, the 

 person received a smart shock ; and I have observed the same effect 

 follow, when a number joined hands, and the person at one extre- 

 mity of the circle took hold of or touched the fish, and the person 

 at the other extremity put his hand into the watnr, over the body 

 of the fish. The shock was communicated to the whole circle as 

 smartly as if both the extreme persons had touched the fish. In 

 this it seems to differ. widely from the torpedo, or else we are much 

 misinformed of the manner in which the benumbing effect of that 

 fish is communicated. The shock which our Surinam fish gives seems 

 to be wholly electrical ; and all the phenomena or properties of it 

 exactly resemble those of the electric aura of our atmosphere when 

 collected, as far as they are discoverable from the several experi- 

 ments made on this fish. This stroke is communicated by the same 

 conductors, and intercepted by the interposition of the same original 

 electrics, or electrics per se, as they are called. The keeper of 

 these fish informed me that he caught them in Surinam river, a 

 great way up, beyond where the salt water reaches ; and that they 

 are a fresh.water fish only. He says that they are eaten, and by 

 some people esteemed a great delicacy. They live on fish, worms, 

 and any animal food, if it is cut small, so that they can swallow it. 

 When small live fishes are thrown into the water, they first give 

 them a shock, which kills, or so stupifies them, that they can swal- 

 low them easily and without any trouble. If one of these small 

 fishes, after it is shocked, and to all appearance dead, be taken out 

 of the vessel where the electrical fish is, and put into fresh water. 



