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tion between the edges of these two plates, no 

 shock takes place. The chain between the two 

 surfaces of the electric organ is then formed by 

 the plates ; and the new communication, esta- 

 blished by the contact of the two hands with 

 the two plates, remains without effect. We 

 carried the torpedo with impunity between two 

 dishes of metal, and felt the strokes it gave only 

 at the instant when the dishes no longer touched 

 each other at the edges. 



Nothing in the torpedo, or in the gymnotus, 

 indicates, that the animal modifies the electrical 

 state of the bodies by which it is surrounded. The 

 most delicate electrometer is no way affected, in 

 whatever manner it is employed, whether bring- 

 ing it near the organs, or insulating the fish, 

 covering it with a metallic plate, and causing 

 the plate to communicate by a conducting wire 

 with the condenser of Volta. We were at great 

 pains to vary the experiments, by which we 

 sought to render the electrical tension in the 

 organs of the torpedo sensible ; but they were 

 constantly without effect, and perfectly con- 

 firmed what Mr. Bonpland and myself had ob- 

 served respecting the gymnoti during our abode 

 in South America, 



Electrical fishes, when very vigorous, act with 

 the same energy under water and in the air. This 

 observation led us to examine the conducting 

 property of water ; and we found, that, when 



2b2 



