GYM 
fwell out romewhat on each fide, from the depref- 
fion of the lateral lines; but towards the lower or 
under-part, is again ccntra6ted, or fharpened into 
the third part, or carina. This carina, or keel, 
is very diftinguifhable from the other two divi- 
fions by it's thinnefs, it's apparent laxnefs, and by 
the reticulated flcin of a more grev and light co- 
lour, with which it is covered. When the animal 
fwims gently in pretty deep water, the rhomboidal 
reticulations of the fkin of this carina are very dif- 
cernible; but when the water is fhallow, or the 
depth of the carina is contracted, thefe reticula- 
tions appear like m.any irregular longitudinal plicje. 
The carina begins about fix or feven inches below 
the bafe of the head, and gradually widening or 
deepening as it go^s along, reaches down to the 
tail, where it is thinneft. It feems to be of a 
(Irong mufcular nature. Where it firft takes it's 
rife from the body of the fi(h, it feems to be about 
one inch, or one inch and an half thick, and is 
gradually fharpened to a thin edge, where the 
fourth and laft part is fituated, viz. a long, deep, 
foft, v/avy fin, which takes it's rife about three or 
four inches at moft below tlie head, and runs down 
along the Iharp edge of the carina, to the extremity 
of the tail. Where it firft rifes it is not deep, but 
gradually deepens or widens as it approaches the 
tail. It is of a very pliable, foft confiftence, and 
feems rather longer than the body. The fituation 
of the anus in this fifh is very fingular, being 
placed underneath, and being about an inch more 
forward than the pecfloral fins, and confequently 
confiderably nearer the roftrum. It is a pretty 
long rima in appearance; but the aperture muft be 
very fmall, as the formed excrements are only 
about the fize of the quill of a common dung-hill 
fowl. There are two peftoral (if I may call them 
fo) fins, placed one on each fide, juft behind 
the head, over the foramina fpiratoria, which are 
fmall, and generally covered v/ith a lax ikin, fi- 
tuated in the axilla of thefe fins, Thefe fins are 
Imall for the fize of the fifh, being fcarcely an inch 
in length, of a very thin, delicate confiilence, and 
orbicular fliape. They feem to be chiefly ufeful 
in fupporting and raifing the head of the fifh when 
he wants to breathe, which he does every four or 
five minutes, by raifing his mouth out of the wa- 
ter: this fi:iews that he has lungs, and is amphi- 
bious, and foramina fpiratoria feem to indicate his 
having bronchije likewife; but this I only offer as 
a conjeilure, not being certain of the fa6l. I muft 
now mention the appearance of a number of fmall 
crofs bands, annular divifions, or rather rugse of 
the fkin of the body. They reach acrofs the body 
down to the bafe of the carina on each fide; but 
thofe that crofs the back feem to terminate at the 
lateral lines, where new rings take their rife, not 
exa6tly in the fame line, and run down the carina. 
This gives the fifh fomewhat of a worm-like ap- 
pearance; and indeed it feems to have fome of the 
properties of this tribe, for it has a power of 
lengthening or fliortening it's body to a certain 
degree, for it's own conveniency, or agreeable to 
it's own inclination. I have feen this fpecimen, 
which I have meafured three feet eight inches, 
fhorten himfelf to three feet two inches ; but be- 
fides this power of lengthening or fliortening his 
body, he can fwim forwards or backwards with 
apparently equal eafe to himfelf ; which is another 
property of the vermicular tribe. When he fwims 
forwards, the undulation, or wavy motion of the 
fin and carina, begin from the upper part, and 
GYM 
move downwards ; but when he fwims backwards, 
and the tail goes foremoft, and the undulations of 
the fin begin at the extremity of the tail or fin, 
and proceed in fuccefTion from that backwards to 
the upper part of the body; in either cafe he fwims 
equally fwift. Every now and then the fifh lays 
himfelf on one fide, as it were, to refl himfelf, and 
then the four feveral divifions of his body above- 
mentioned are very diflindly feen, viz. the vermi- 
form appearance of the two upper tlivifions; the 
retiform appearance of the carina; and the lafl, 
or dark-coloured fin, whofe rays feem to be ex- 
ceedingly foft and flexible, and entirely at the 
command of the ftrong mufcular carina. When 
he is taken out of the water, and laid on his belly, 
the carina and fin lie to one fide, in the fame man- 
ner as the ventral fin of the tertraodon does when 
he creeps on the ground, I have been the longer 
and more particular in the defcription of the ex- 
ternal flrudlure of this animal's body, becaufe I 
think, as it is of a m.oft fingular nature, and en- 
dowed with fome amazing properties, even the 
moft minute circumftance I was able to obferve 
reladng to it, fhould be mentioned. 
' The perfon to whom thefe animals belong, calls 
them Eleftrical Fifli; and indeed the power they 
have of giving an eleftrical fliock to any perfon, 
or to any numiber of perfons who join hands toge- 
ther, the extreme perfon on each fide touching the 
fifli, is their moft fingular and aftonifliing pro- 
perty. All the five we have here are pofrefl:ed of 
this power in a very great degree, and communi- 
cate the fhock to one perfon, or to any number of 
perfons, cither by the immediate touch of the fifh 
with the hand, or by the mediation of any metal- 
line rod. The keeper fays, that when they were 
firft caught, they could give a much ftronger fhock 
by a metalline conduftor than they can do at pre- 
fent. The perfon who is to receive the fhock, 
muft take the fifh with both hands, at fome con- 
fiderable diftance afunder, fo as to form the com- 
munication, otherwife he will not receive it; at 
leaft I never faw any one fhocked from taking 
hold of it with one hand only; though fome have 
afTured me, that they were fliocked by laying one 
hand on him. I myfelf have taken hold of the 
largeft widi one hand only, without ever receiving 
a fl.iock; but I never touched It with both hands, 
at a litde diftance afunder, without feeling a fmart 
fhock. I have often remarked, that vv^hen it is 
taken hold of with one hand, and the other hand 
is put into the water over it's body, without touch- 
ing it, the perfon received a fmart fliock; and I 
have obferved the fame efFeft follow when a num- 
ber joined hands, and the perfon at one extremity 
of the circle took hold of, or touched the fifh, and 
the perfon at the other extremity put his hand into 
the water, over the body of the fifli. The fhock 
was communicated through the whole circle as 
fmartly as if both the extreme perfons had touched 
the fifh. In this it feems to differ v/idely from the 
torpedo, or elfe we are much mifinformed of the 
manner in which the benumbing effedt of that fifh 
is communicated. The fhock which our Suri- 
nam fifh gives, feems to be wholly eleftrical ; and 
all the phfenomena or properties of it exaftly re- 
femble thofe of the eledlric aura of our atmofphere 
when collefted, as far as they are difcoverable 
from the feveral trials made on this fifh. This 
ftroke is communicated by the fame conduc- 
tors, and intercepted by the interpofition of the 
fame original electrics, or eledrics per fe, as they 
ufed 
