THE SWORD-FISH. I29 



Eel have beerf seen that were upwards of twenty feet 

 in length, and whose shock would be instant death 

 to any man that unluckily received it. This asser- 

 tion is however contradicted by Captain Stedman, 

 whose long residence in those parts of South Ame- 

 rica, where the Gymnotus is principally found, 

 enabled him to make accurate enquiries on the 

 s ubject. 



These Eels are sometimes caught in Guiana when 

 very young, and preserved in large troughs filled 

 with water, for amusement. They are usually fed 

 with small fish, earth-worms, or cock-roaches, the 

 latter of which are the most agreeable of all food to 

 them : when one of these is thrown into the trough, 

 the fish opens his mouth and sucks it in with great 

 avidity and apparent pleasure. — From the skin is 

 excreted a slimy substance, which renders itnecessary 

 to have the water often changed. — When the water 

 is out of the trough they will lie motionless for several 

 hours ; but, if touched in this condition, they never 

 fail to communicate a violent shock*. 



THE SWORD-FISH TRIBE. 



THE head of the Sword-fish is furnished with a 

 long, hard, sword-shaped upper jaw. The mouth 



* Bancroft, 200. 

 VOL. III. K 



