570 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1774. 



from the sparry particles, it is thrown into smelting ovens, it becomes brittle, 

 granulated, and will not join again in the forge. 



This mass was found lying on the surface, at the top of a high woody emi- 

 nence, not far from the mountains called, by the Tartars, Nemir, between the 

 two rivulets Ubei and Sisim, which fall from the right into the Jenisei, a little 

 below Abakanskoi Ostrog, and scarcely 100 fathoms from a rich mine of hard 

 ore of loadstone. The appearance and nature of this mass, and the qualities of 

 the iron of which it chiefly consists, are so decisive, that it cannot be doubted 

 but that it has been thus produced by nature ; and if so, the existence of native 

 iron, which has hitherto been questioned, is established beyond all contradic- 

 tion ; especially if it be considered, that no trace of any old iron work, of which 

 there are many in the Siberian mountains, is to be met with in the desart where 

 the mass was found ; and the mine abovementioned was not opened before the 

 year 1752, when the miners, who were there employed, first discovered this 

 mass of iron : since which time no further notice had been taken of it." 



XLVI. Of Torpedos found on the Coast of England. By John Walsh, Esq. 



F. R. S. p. 464. 



" It has lately been found, that the torpedo, or electric ray, frequents the 

 shores of this island, contrary to a received opinion among naturalists, who 

 have in general considered it as an inhabitant only of warmer climates. In con- 

 sequence of inquiries Mr. W. had set on foot in some of our southern fishing 

 ports, 2 torpedos, taken in Torbay, one in the beginning of August, and the 

 other in the beginning of Nov., last year, (1773), have been actually sent 

 up to this metropolis. The first, procured by the good offices of Mr. Amyatt, 

 apothecary, in Berkeley-square, was examined, and the electrical organs were 

 successfully injected, by Mr. John Hunter. The second, forwarded by 

 Mr. Grant, a principal fishmonger in the land carriage branch, then at Brixham, 

 came up very fresh and perfect, in one of his fish machines. This was weighed 

 and measured before it was touched by the dissecting knife, and found to weigh 

 53 lb. avoirdupois, and to measure 4 feet in length, 2-1- feet in its extreme 

 breadth, and 4^ inches in its extreme thickness. 



The largest torpedo Mr. W. met with in the neighbourhood of Rochelle, 

 where upwards of 70 passed through his hands, weighed little more than 10 lb. 

 and measured not quite 2 feet in length, nor quite 16 inches in breadth : and 

 the largest he had read of was that mentioned by Rhedi to Lorenzini, weighing 

 24 lb. doubtless of Leghorn, which make about 18 avoirdupois. Though this 

 Mediterranean torpedo has been ever considered as of an extraordinary size, it 

 is exceeded in weight nearly 3 to 1 by our enormous British torpedo. 



