THE GYMNOTUS. 271 



appear to be, on all occasions, treated with the attention 

 that it merits. There is probably a little prejudice 

 connected with it : as the ridicule with which attempts to 

 read the history of men and nations in the heavens has 

 been very properly treated, may have had some effect 

 in preventing people from reading in them those lessons 

 which they are capable of affording. 



The other fishes that have been observed to possess 

 electric power, are four : the electric eel of Guiana, in 

 South America, (gymnotus electricus ;) the silurus elec- 

 tricus, found in the Nile and Niger ; and the tetraodon 

 electricus, and trich'mrus Indicus, found in the Indian 



The GYMNOTUS is found in the muddy places of rivers 

 and in stagnant pools, in Guiana, and the adjoining parts 

 of South America ; and from its burrowing in the mud, 

 it is not very easily caught ; and indeed the large ones 

 are not very pleasant to kill, except with a missile wea- 

 pon. They are much more formidable creatures than 

 the torpedo, killing by their shocks not only every other 

 inhabitant of the waters which they haunt, but paralyz- 

 ing the larger land quadrupeds so that they are 

 drowned, or even depriving them of life, by the violence 

 of their shocks. 



The gymnotus bears some resemblance to an eel, 

 only it is thicker in proportion to its length, and more 

 spindle-shaped. The head and belly occupy only a 

 small portion of its length, the greater part being taken 

 up by the muscles and electric organs ; and the under 

 part terminating, along the whole length, except the 

 head and belly, in one strong continuous fin ; while on 



