ELECTRICAL GYMNOTE, 47 



There are two pectoral (if I may call them so) fins, 

 placed one on each side, just behind the head, over 

 the foramina spiratoria, which are small, and gene- 

 rally covered with a lax skin, situated in the axillae 

 of these fins. These fins are small for the size of 

 the fish, being scarcely an inch in length, and of a 

 very thin, delicate consistence, and orbicular shape. 

 They seem to be chiefly useful in supporting and 

 raising the head of the fish when he wants to 

 breathe, which he does every four or five minutes, 

 by raising his mouth out of the water. This shews 

 that he has lungs and is amphibious, and the fora- 

 mina spiratoria seem to indicate his having branchiae 

 likewise* ; but this I only offer as a conjecture, not 

 being certain of the fact. I must now mention the 

 appearances of a number of small cross bands, an- 

 nular divisions, or rather rugae of the skin of the 

 body. They reach across the body down to the 

 base of the carina on each side ; but those that cross 

 the back seem to terminate at the lateral lines, 

 where new rings take their rise, not exactly in the 

 same line, and run down to the carina. This gives 

 the fish somewhat of a worm-like appearance; and 

 indeed it seems to have some of the properties of 

 this tribe, for it has a power of lengthening or 

 shortening its body to a certain degree, for its own 

 conveniency, or agreeably to its own inclination. I 

 have seen this specimen, which I have measured 

 three feet eight inches, shorten himself to three 

 feet two inches ; but besides this power of lengthen- 



* This proved an erroneous idea. 



