20O NATURALIST^ CABINET. 



Electric sparks produced by Mr. Walsh. 



distinct organs ; they are very tender, and easily 

 lacerated. These are furnished with many pairs 

 of nerves appropriated to their management; but 

 how these surprising effects are produced hy 

 means of such organs, in a fluid also extremely 

 ill-adapted to the purpose, has not, nor perhaps 

 ever will be ascertained. 



Notwithstanding the existence of the electrical 

 property was proved by these experiments in a 

 most satisfactory manner, many naturalists still 

 maintained a contrary opinion because there was 

 no visible spark. Mr. Walsh, celebrated for his 

 observations on the electricity of the torpedo, 

 was unable to produce any spark from that fish. 

 That gentleman, however, having obtained four 

 electric eels from Surinam, at length succeeded 

 in rendering the sparks visible, and describes the 

 method in a letter to M. le Roi. He laid a piece 

 of metal, cut into two parts, upon glass; the fish 

 being then taken out of the water and excited, 

 he distinctly saw the electric sparks pass from 

 one piece of metal to the other. There can be 

 no doubt of the accuracy of this experiment, for 

 Sir John Pringle and Mr. Magellan likewise 

 assured M. le Roi that they, as well as several 

 other persons, had seen the sparks pass as above 

 described, and that the experiment was repeated 

 ten or twelve times with the same result. Mr. 

 Magellan adds, that twenty-seven of the company, 

 taking hold of each other's hands, formed a circle, 



