ELECTRICAL GYMNOTE. 



51 



after their food; but they are soon satisfied, not 

 being able to contain much at a time. An elec- 

 trical fish of three feet and upwards in length cannot 

 swallow a small fish above three or at most three 

 inches and a half long. I am told that the electrical 

 fish is sometimes found in the river Surinam upwards 

 of twenty feet in length, and that the stroke or 

 shock proves instant death to the person who re- 

 ceives it." 



Mr. Hunter's accurate description of the electric 

 or Galvanic organs of this curious animal, is as 

 follows : 



" This fish, on the first view, appears very much 

 like an eel, from which resemblance it has most pro- 

 bably got its name ; but it has none of the specific 

 properties of that fish. This animal may be con* 

 sidered, both anatomically and physiologically, as 

 divided into two parts, viz. the common animal 

 part, and a part which is superadded, viz. the pe- 

 culiar organ. I shall at present consider it only 

 with respect to the last ; as the first explains no- 

 thing relating to the other, nor any thing re- 

 lating to the animal oeconomy of fish in general. 

 The first, or common animal part, is so con- 

 trived as to exceed what was necessary for itself, 

 in order to give situation, nourishment, and most 

 probably the peculiar property to the second. The 

 last part, or peculiar organ, has an immediate con- 

 nexion with the first ; the body affording it a situa- 

 tion ; the heart nourishment ; and the brain nerves, 

 and probably its peculiar powers. For the first of 

 these purposes the body is extended out in length, 



