264 
NATURAL HISTORY 
not actually touch the torpedo, how near soever he holds 
his hands, he feels nothing: if he touch it with a stick, 
he feels a faint effect: if he touch it through the interpo- 
sition of any pretty thin body, the numbness is felt 
very considerably; if the hand be prest very strong against 
it the numbness is the less, but still strong enough to 
oblige a man speedily to let go. 
The engraving displays the interior of the lower elec- 
tric or galvanic organ. 
Horned Silure. ( Siluris . PL 45.) The head of this 
fish is broad, flat, and thin: and the horns which occupy 
the place of eyes in other species, are armed with short 
crooked spines like teeth, and are probably weapons of 
defence. The eyes lie on each side of the head, near 
the mouth. The head and body are entirely covered 
with a skin resembling leather; and the tail-fin slightly 
forked. 
This fish is of a very dark green colour; the sides are 
somewhat lighter. Another remarkable peculiarity in 
this fish is the dorsal fin: it is close to the head: and its 
front ray is long, stiff, dentated like the horns, and is pro- 
bably an instrument of defence also. The belly is short 
and thick; and the leteral line goes meandering along the 
middle of the body, and puts out branches each way. 
This species grows to a considerable size; its flesh is 
eatable, but not much sought after. It is found near the 
shores of Asia and Surinam. 
One of these fish caught at Surinam, on examination, 
was observed to have its mouth filled with yellow eggs, 
in none of which however, could be found a fish com- 
pletely formed; from which it is concluded, that the si- 
lure, to defend her eggs from the voracious tribes, hatches 
them instinctively in her mouth. But she is supposed at 
times to emit them from her mouth, when in search of 
food to appease her appetite, and, when satisfied, to take 
them in her mouth again. 
Of the silure tribe, there are upwards of thirty differ- 
ent species, of which, our limits will not allow us to 
give a description. 
