THE ELECTRIC EEL. 0l 



How taken and kept. 



and the person at one extremity having touched 

 the eel, they all received a shock similar to that 

 produced by a Ley den vial. 



This fish is taken in nets, and when the fisher- 

 men have catight a large one they kill it with a 

 club, to prevent being exposed to the effects of 

 its electric property. At Surinam young ones 

 are kept in capacious vessels made for the pur- 

 pose, and are fed with small fish or worms. In- 

 sects are their favorite food; these they swallow 

 with great avidity the moment they are thrown 

 into the water. A considerable quantity of vis- 

 cous matter oozes from the skin of this fish, 

 which renders it necessary to change the water 

 at least once a day. A pipe is affixed to the 

 vessel, by means of which the water is drawn off: 

 on this occasion the fish is sometimes left whole 

 hours dry and motionless, but yet if touched in 

 this state it communicates as strong a shock as 

 before. 



. Notwithstanding Dr. Garden's assertion, that 

 specimens of the electric eel have been seen that 

 were upwards of twenty feet in length, and whose 

 shocks would be instant death to any man who 

 unfortunately received it ; yet Captain Stedman, 

 who, from his long residence in South America, 

 where these fish are principally found, was ena- 

 bled to make accurate enquiries on the subject, 

 contradicts this gentleman. 



VOL. T. NO. 34, 2 c 



