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thefe animals, when taken, a Plaice or Surmullet 
may, as we have feen, be found, yet in confine- 
ment they negleCt all kinds of prey: it will be eafy 
however, as they are of a quiet nature, to force 
them to fwallow food, if neceffary. 
But the frequent, and perhaps favourite fituation 
of the Torpedo is to lie in concealment under fand. 
If he be placed by delign, as he is fometimes 
left by accident, in any hollow of a fandy beach, 
from whence the tide has juft retired, he fwims to 
that brink where the water is ftill draining away, 
and on finding himfelf unable after repeated at- 
tempts to pufh himfelf over the fhallow, and follow 
the courfe of the tide, he begins with admirable 
addrefs to bury himfelf in the fand, and by a gentle 
but quick flapping of his extremities all round foon 
links himfelf a bed, and in the aCtion throws the fand 
in alight lhower over his back. Neither the animal 
nor the fpot he is in can now be diftinguifhed 
lave only that, on a nice fearch, his two fmall infpi- 
ratory foramina, and their membranes at play, may 
he perceived. It is in this fituation that the Torpedo 
gives his mod forcible fliock, which throws down the 
aflonifhed paffenger who inadvertently fleps on him. 
1 have thus fhewn that Great Britain too claims the 
Torpedo, or Electric Ray; that ours is the broad 
marine fort, which Socrates, as Meno thought, 
refembled ; and that it is the black Torpedo , whofe 
influence lubdues obflinate Head-achs, and the Gout 
iifelf W. In announcing to our Naturalifts and 
(c) Scribonius Largus, Cap. i. & 41. See alfo feveral of 
the eaily phyficians, Roman and Arabian, for different cures 
attributed by them to the effect of the Torpedo. 
Electricians 
