384 



ZOOLOGY. 



Wild horses are driven into the waters inhabited by these 

 fishes, and on these the gyranoti expend the first shocks; 

 being thus exhausted, they are easily taken by the net or 

 harpoon. The electric organs of the gymnotus are arranged 



Fig. 394. The Gymnotus Electricus ; Electric Eel of Surinam. 



along the back and tail in four longitudinal fasciculi, com- 

 posed of a great number of parallel membraniform plates, 

 which are nearly horizontal, and united by an infinity of other 

 still smaller plates,* placed vertically 

 across; these small prismatic and trans- 

 verse cells formed by the reunion of these 

 laminae are filled with a gelatinous matter, 

 and the apparatus receives numerous very 

 large nerves. 



The torpedo (Fig. 395), is a cartilaginous 

 fish, resembling the skate. Its body is 

 smooth, arid represents a disc nearly cir- 

 cular, the anterior e4ge of which is formed 

 by two prolongations of the muzzle, which 

 on each side proceed to unite with the pec- 

 toral fins, and leave between these organs, 

 the head, and the branchiae, an oval space, 

 in which is lodged the electric apparatus of 

 the fish. This apparatus (Fig. 396) is com- 

 posed of a number of vertical membranous 

 tubes closely packed like honeycomb, and subdivided by hori- 

 zontal partitions filled with mucositien, and animated by several 



* I have counted 240 of these plates in the inch. K. K. 



Fig. 395. The Com- 

 mon Torpedo. 



