THE ELECTRICAL EEL. 415 



fish thrown in at some distance. The Eel swam up to it, and at first 

 turned away without offering it any violence : after a little time he 

 returned, and, looking steadfastly at it for a few seconds, gave it a 

 shock, by which it instantly turned upon its back, and became 

 motionless. Dr. Williamson at that very instant felt the same sen- 

 sation in his fingers, as he had done when he put his hand into the 

 water before. A fish was afterwards struck, but not quite killed. 

 When the Electrical Eel perceived this, he returned, and at a second 

 shock, evidently more severe than the former, rendered it motionless. 

 On touching the Eel with one hand so as to provoke it, and holding 

 ihe other in the water at a little distance, a severe shock was felt 

 through both the arms and across the breast, similar to that from a 

 charged jar. Eight or ten persons, with their hands joined, experienced 

 the same, on the first touching the head, and the last the tail of the 

 fish. A dog being made a link in this chain, uttered a loud yell at 

 the instant of contact. When the Eel was touched with silk, glass, 

 or any other non-conductor, no shock was felt. From a long series 

 of experiments, it appeared to Dr. Williamson that these properties 

 partook so nearly of the nature of electricity, that whatever would 

 convey the electrical fluid, would also convey the fluid discharged by 

 the Eel ; and vice versa. lie, however, was not able to observe that 

 any spark was produced on contact. This mode of defence the fish 

 never adopted except it was irritated ; and Dr. Williamson has passed 

 his hand along the back and sides from head to tail, and has even 

 lifted part of its body out of the water, without exciting it to injure 

 him. 



Mr. Bryant mentions an instance of the shock from one of these fish 

 being felt through a considerable thickness of wood. One morning, 

 while he was standing by, as a servant was emptying a tub, in which 

 an Electrical Eel was contained, he had lifted it entirely from the 

 ground, and was pouring oft* the water to renew it, when he received 

 a shock so violent as occasioned him to let the tub fall. Mr. B. then 

 called another person to his assistance, and caused them together to 

 lift up the tub, each laying hold only on the outside. When they 

 were pouring off the remainder of the water, they each received a 

 shock so smart, that they were compelled to desist. 



Persons have been knocked down with the stroke. One of these fish 

 having been shaken from a net upon the grass, an English sailor, 

 notwithstanding all the persuasions that were used to prevent him, 

 would insist on taking it up; but the moment he grasped it, he 

 dropped down in a fit; his eyes were fixed; his face became livid; 

 and it was not without difficulty that his senses were restored. He 

 said, that the instant he touched it, " the cold ran swiftly up his arm 

 into his body, and pierced him to the heart." 



This property seems principally of use to the Electrical Eels in 

 securing their food; for being destitute of teeth, they would otherwise 

 be scarcely able to seize it. The force of the shock has been satisfac- 

 torily proved to depend entirely on the will, and to be exerted as cir- 

 cumstances require. The prey of these fish are generally so stunned 

 by the shock, as to appear dead ; but when these have been taken 



