TORPEDO RAY. 



315 



indeed, but perfectly perceptible to the hand when 

 laid on the fish at this juncture, and resemble very 

 small electric shocks. In the space of seven mi- 

 nutes, no less than three hundred and sixty of 

 these small shocks were perceived. Spallanzani 

 also assures us of another highly curious fact, which 

 he had occasion to verify from his own experience, 

 viz. that the young Torpedo can not only* exercise 

 its electric faculty as soon as born, but even while 

 it is yet a foetus in the body of the parent animal. 

 This fact was ascertained by Spallanzani on dis- 

 isecting a Torpedo in a pregnant state, and which 

 contained in its ovarium several roundish eggs of 

 different sizes, and also two perfectly formed 

 foetuses, which, when tried in the usual manner, 

 communicated a very sensible electric shock, and 

 which was still more perceptible when the little 

 animals were insulated by being placed on a plate 

 of glass. 



The electricity of the Torpedo is altogether 

 voluntary, and sometimes, if the animal be not 

 irritated, it may be touched, or even handled 

 without being provoked to exert its electric in- 

 fluence. 



