THE ELECTRICAL GYMNOTUS, OR EEL. 11$ 



seconds, gave it a shock, by which it instantly- 

 turned upon its back, and became motionless. Dr. 

 W. at that very instant felt the same sensation in 

 his fingers as when he put his hand into the water 

 before. A fish was afterwards struck, but not 

 quite killed : when the Electric Eel perceived this 

 he returned, and at a second shock, evidently more 

 severe than the former, rendered it motionless. On 

 touching it with one hand so as to provoke it, and 

 holding the 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, expe- 

 rienced 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, at the instant of contact uttered 

 a loud yell*. When the Eel was touched with 

 silk, glass, of any other non-conductor, no shock 

 whatever was felt. From a long series of experi- 

 ments, it appeared to Dr. Williamson that these 

 properties partook so nearly of the nature of elec- 

 tricity, that whatever would convey the electrical 

 fluid would also convey the fluid discharged by tfie 

 Eel ; and vice versa. He, however, was never able 

 to observe that any spark was produced on contact, 

 This mode of defence the fish never adopted ex- 

 cept it was irritated j and Dr. W. has passed his 

 hand along the back and sides from head to tail, 

 and even lifted part of its body out of the water, 

 without tempting it to injure himf. 



* Le Vaillant's New Travels, i. 80. + Phil. Tran, vol. Ixv. p. s*. 



