308 



TORPEDO HAY. 



small, placed near each other : behind each was a 

 round spiracle, with six small cutaneous rays on 

 their inner circumference : the mouth was small ; 

 the teeth minute and spicular : the colour of the 

 animal was cinereous brown above, and- white be- 

 neath. The Torpedo is an inhabitant of most seas, 

 but seems to arrive at a larger size in the Mediter- 

 ranean than elsewhere. It is generally taken with 

 the trawl, but has been sometimes known to take 

 a bait, thus justifying the description of Oppian. 

 It commonly lies in water of about forty fathoms 

 depth, in company with others of this genus. It 

 preys on smaller fish, and according to Mr. Pennant 

 a surmullet and a plaise have been found in the 

 stomach of two of them : the surmullet, as Mr. Pen- 

 nant well observes, is a fish of that swiftness, that 

 it would be impossible for the Torpedo to take it by 

 pursuit : we must therefore suppose that it stupefies 

 its prey by exerting its electric faculty. The Tor- 

 pedo often inhabits sandy places, burying itself 

 superficially, by flinging the sand over it, by a 

 quick flapping of all the extremities. It is in this 

 situation that it gives its most forcible shock, which 

 is said to throw down the astonished passenger that 

 inadvertently treads on the animal. 



The Torpedo, with respect to its general ana- 

 tomy, does not materially differ from the rest of 

 the Ray tribe, except in its electric or Galvanic 

 organs, which are thus accurately described by 

 Mr. Hunter. 



" These organs are placed on each side of the 

 cranium and gills, reaching from thence to the 



