50 



ELECTRICAL GYMNOTE. 



effect of that fish is communicated. The shock which 

 our Surinam fish gives seems to be wholly elec- 

 trical ; and all the phaenomena or properties of it 

 exactly resemble those of the electric aura of our 

 atmosphere when collected, as far as they are dis- 

 coverable from the several trials made on this fish. 

 This stroke is communicated by the same con- 

 ductors, and intercepted by the interposition of the 

 same original electrics or electrics per se, as they 

 are called. The keeper of these fish informed me 

 that he caught them in Surinam river, a great way 

 up, beyond where the salt water reaches ; and that 

 they are a fresh water fish only. He says that they 

 are eaten, and by some people esteemed a great 

 delicacy. They live on fish, worms, or any animal 

 food, if it is cut small, so that they can swallow it. 

 When small live fishes are thrown into the water, 

 they first give them a shock, which kills, or so stupifies 

 them, that they can swallow them easily and with- 

 out any trouble. If one of these small fishes, after 

 it is shocked, and to all appearance dead, be taken 

 out of the vessel where the electrical fish is, and put 

 into fresh water, it will soon revive again. If a 

 larger fish than they can swallow be thrown into 

 the water, at a time that they are hungry, they give 

 him some smart shocks, till he is apparently dead, 

 and then endeavour to swallow or suck him in; 

 but, after several attempts, finding he is too large, 

 they quit him. Upon the most careful inspection 

 of such fish, I could never see any mark of teeth, 

 or the least wound or scratch upon them. When 

 the electrical fish are hungry, they are pretty keen 



