C 96 J 
any of them have been feen in Europe, I iliall take the 
liberty, after I have given a fhort defcription of the fifh, 
to relate fiich experiments as I made, or affihed in ma- 
king, in hopes of difcovering by what means it produced 
the effeds I have mentioned. The eel was three feet 
feven inches long, and about two inches thick near the 
head. On a tranhent view, it refembled one of our com- 
mon eels both in fliape and colour; but its head was flat 
and its mouth wide, like that of a cat-hdi, without teeth. 
A fin, which was above two inches broad, extended along 
its belly, from the point of its tail to within fix inches of 
its head. This fin was almofi: an inch thick where it ad- 
hered to the body; the upper part of it was mufcular, 
but of a very different texture from the mufcular part of 
the body ; the difference was obvious to the touch, for I 
had no opportunity of making any obfervations by dif- 
fering the fubjedt. It w^as a native of frefli water, and 
breathed at the interval of three or four minutes, by lift- 
ing its head to the furface. 
EXPERIMENTS. 
I . On touching the eel v/ith one of my hands, I per- 
ceived fuch a feiifation in the -joints of my fingers as I 
received on touching a prime condudtor or charged 
phial, when no circle was formed ; or fuch as I have re- 
ceived, when a few fparks of the eleffric fluid have 
been conveyed through my fingers only. 2. On 
touching the eel more roughly, I perceived a fimilar ef- 
feft in my wrifc and elbowx 3. Touching the eel 
with 
