u 
[ 468 1 
imagined that the feafon for them and the Rays is 
“ the fame. Their numbing quality is pretty ftrong 
“ through the net, though much weaker than when 
“ they are taken out. The general name by which 
“ they are known here, is the Numb or Cramp-fifth 
“ Few or no fmall Torpedos are to be met with in 
“ thefe parts, thofe hitherto caught being from ten 
“ to fixty, feventy, and eighty pounds weight ; 
" which may probably proceed from the young 
sc being thrown away promifcuoufly with other offal 
v fifh.” 
At la Rochelle, during the intire month of July, 
mod of the larger female Torpedos, being thofe frona 
fifteen inches to two feet in length, were found with 
an uncertain number of eggs in their matrices, the 
larged females appearing to have the greateft num- 
ber. The eggs of the fame female differed little 
from each other as to forward nefs j nor did the eggs 
of one female differ much from thofe of another 1 
the embryo in all was but little advanced.. A letter 
from Mr Saunier of la Rochelle, written about fix 
weeks after I had left that place-, informed me, 
that on the roth September, he opened a very large 
Torpedo of about two feet and a quarter by one 
and a half, and difcovered floating in the left matrice 
nine fetufes quite formed, near two inches long, and 
didindt from them nine eggs in no date of forward- 
nefs ; and that in the right matrice he met with 
four fuch fetufes and nine fuch eggs. The obfer- 
vation, therefore-, of Aridotle, that the Torpedo 
brings forth at the autumnal equinox, is well founded, 
notwithstanding Lorenzini has quedioned thefadl. 
From the remarkable luperfetatioa in this indance,, 
■w.%nia j betides. infer, that ihe Torpedo, agreeably 
t 
