Introduction 



However I may respect your talents as an electrician, it is certainly for 

 knowledge of more general import that I am impressed with that high esteem, 

 with which I remain, 



Dear Sir, 



Your affectionate 



And obedient servant, 



JOHN WALSH. 



This paper is followed in the Philosophical Transactions by "Ana- 

 tomical Observations on the Torpedo," by John Hunter, F.R.S., in which 

 the great anatomist describes the structure of the electric organs, in 

 specimens of the fish furnished by Mr Walsh. 



Considerable interest seems to have been excited by this account of 

 the Torpedo, and several papers on the Torpedo and the Gymnotus are 

 in the Philosophical Transactions for 1775, none of them, however, so 

 valuable as the original one by Walsh. 



The practical electricians, however, were by no means satisfied that 

 the effects of these fishes were really produced by electricity. 



Mr Ronayne has made a curious remark upon the supposed electricity of 

 the torpedo: he says, "if that could be proved, he does not see why we might 

 not have storms of thunder and lightning in the depths of the ocean. Indeed, 

 I must say, that when a Gentleman can so far give up his reason as to believe 

 the possibility of an accumulation of electricity among conductors sufficient to 

 produce the effects ascribed to the Torpedo, he need not hesitate a moment to 

 embrace as truths the grossest contradictions that can be laid before him*." 



I am aware of only two occasions on which Cavendish, after he had 

 settled his own opinion on any subject, thought it worth his while to set 

 other people right who differed from him. One of these occasions was in 



verschiedensten Art, nach Willkiir herauszugreifen, um sie mit elektromotorischen 

 Vorrichtungen von furchtbarer Gewalt als eine Waffe auszustatten, neben welcher 

 der Giftzahn der Klapperschlange, ja die nordamericanische Drehpistole, als eine 

 plumpe und armselige Erfindung erscheint; eine Waffe die, ohne ihren Trager der 

 Gefahr blosszustellen, lautlos und mit Blitzesschnelle in die Entfernung reicht, und 

 minutenlang eine secundendicht gedrangte Reihe von Geschossen schleudert, deren 

 keines fehlen kann, well alle auf alien Punkten des Raumes gleichzeitig vorhanden 

 sind." 



In the Journal of Anatomy and Physiology for April, 1879, is a Note on a Curious 

 Habit of the Malapterurus Electricus, by A. B. Stirling. The author attempted to 

 leed Joe (the Malapterurus) with fresh worms, but he would not look at them. 

 Another fish, however, called Dick (Clarias), swallowed them. When Joe considered 

 that Dick had enjoyed his breakfast long enough, he swam up to him and gave him 

 such a shock that the whole was disgorged, whereupon Joe swallowed it himself. 

 When Dick at last succumbed to this treatment, Joe could no longer get his food 

 prepared for him, and gave up eating altogether. 



* Extract from MS. letter of W. Henly, dated 21 May, 1775, in the Canton Papers 

 in the Royal Society's Library. 'Communicated to the editor by H. B.Wheatley, Esq.) 



