C 109 ] 
in which the benumbing effect of that filh is communi- 
cated. The fliock which our Surinam fifli gives, feems 
to be wholly ele£lrical ; and all the phsenomena or pro- 
perties of it exactly refemble thofe of the ele61ric aura 
of our atmofphere when colle6led, as far as they are dif- 
coverable from the feveral trials made on this fifli. This 
ftroke is communicated by the fame condu6fors, and in- 
tercepted by the interpofition of the fame original elec- 
trics, or electrics per fe as they ufed to be called. The 
keeper of this filh informs me, that he catched them in 
Surinam river, a great way up, beyond where the fait 
water reaches ; and that they are a frefli water hfli only. 
He fays, that they are eaten, and by fome people elleem- 
ed a great delicacy. They live on fifli, worms, or any 
animal food, if it is cut fmall, fo that they can fwallow 
it. When fmall live filhes are thrown into the water> 
they firft give them a Ihock, which kills or fo ffcupifies 
them, that they can fwallow them ealily, and without 
any trouble. If one of thefe fmall fifhes, after it is fliock- 
ed, and to all appearance dead, be taken out of the veflel 
where the ele6i:rical fifb is, and put into frefh water, it 
will foon revive again. If a larger filh than they can 
fwallow be thrown into the water, at a time that they are 
hungry, they give him fome fmart fbocks, till he is ap- 
parently dead, and then they try to fwallow or fuck him 
in ; but, after feveral attempts, finding he is too large, 
they quit him. Upon the moll careful infpedlion of fuch 
fifh, I could never fee any mark of teeth, or the leafl 
wound or fcratch on them. When the eledlrical fifh 
Q a 
are 
