ELECTRICAL GYMNOTEi 49 



astonishing property. The five we have here are 

 possessed of this power in a very great degree, and 

 communicate the shock to one person, or to any 

 number of persons, either by the immediate touch of 

 the fish with the hand, or by the intervention of any 

 metalline rod. The keeper says that when first 

 caught, they could give a much stronger shock by 

 a metalline conductor than they can do at present. 

 The person who is to receive the shock must take 

 the fish with both hands, at some considerable di- 

 stance asunder, so as to form the communication; 

 otherwise he will not receive it ; at least I never 

 saw any one shocked from taking hold of it with 

 one hand only : though some have assured me that 

 they were shocked by laying one hand on him. I 

 myself have taken hold of the largest with one hand 

 often, without ever receiving a shock ; but I never 

 touched it with 'both hands, at a little distance 

 asunder, without feeling a smart shock. I have 

 often remarked, that when it is taken hold of with 

 one hand, and the other hand is put into the water 

 over its body, without touching it, the person re- 

 ceived a smart shock ; and I have observed the same 

 effect follow, when a number joined hands, and the 

 person at one extremity of the circle took hold of or 

 touched the fish, and the person at the other ex- 

 tremity put his hand into the water, over the body 

 of the fish. The shock was communicated through 

 the whole circle as smartly as if both the extreme 

 persons had touched the fish. In this it seems to 

 differ widely from the Torpedo, or else we are much 

 misinformed of the manner in which the benumbing 

 v. iv. p. 1. 4 



