[ 47 * ] ; 
village in the neighbourhood, furnifhing about four- 
teen or fifteen fmall veffels, with which they prac- 
tife pole-trawling, the fifhermen were acquainted 
with it. They told me, that they fome times caught 
one or two in a year, and fometimes none fof two 
or three years ; that they had taken two that year, 
and one the year preceding ; that thefe were about 
eighteen inches long, and fourteen broad, and were 
caught a league off fhore j that the fifh benumbs 
thofe who touch it, and that they had been be- 
numbed by it 3 and that its name in Irifh is 
Aunghelldw. From this name it might feem that they 
confounded it with the Angel-fifh : but by their 
defeription, both of the animal and its effects, it was 
plain they knew and meant the Torpedo. 
To prove the eledrical effed of the animal, the 
curious fhould be informed, not only where to find, 
but how beft to preferve it alive. The Eledric Ray is 
fo far amphibious as to exift in air twenty-four 
hours : in frefh water it furvives but little longer. 
Weli-boats kept in fait water, and not put into 
much motion, may beft fuit it : In refervoirs on fhore, 
which on fea-coafts are not unfrequent, it will be 
fubjed to be annoyed, notwithflanding its elec~ 
trical armour, by the Sea-leach and the common 
Sea-crab. A commodious well-boat we experienced 
might foon be made from a fmall flat-bottomed boat, 
termed by the French PouJJe-pied-, which, parti- 
tioned with laths into three or four chambers, and 
fecured in the fame manner at the top, kept floating, 
from its leaky date, juft even with the water. In this 
pen we were able to preferve them feveral days, and 
always without food } for though in the ftomach of 
thefe 
