AND OBSERVATIONS ON THE TORPEDO. 
271 
organ and ramifies through its superior portion. The next pair of nerves, the 
second electrical, rises a little beyond the preceding. On leaving the cranium 
it divides into two great branches ; these, with the exception of nervous twigs 
supplying the adjoining branchise, are distributed entirely in the substance of 
the electrical organ and ramify in all directions through its middle portion. The 
third electrical rises close to the last, divided only by a very thin plate of car- 
tilage ; the principal portion of it passes into the electrical organ and ramifies 
through its inferior part, and besides, gives off three small branches, which are 
sent to the adjoining branchiae, to the gullet and stomach, and to the tail. The 
branch which supplies the stomach appears to be the principal nerve of this 
organ ; it descends along the inner and inferior portion of the gullet, and 
ramifies in the direction of the great arch of the stomach. The caudal branch 
descends in a straight line under the peritoneal lining of the abdomen, and 
under the spinal nerves, without giving off a single branch till it reaches the 
tail, in the muscular substance of which it is lost. 
I have not yet been able to discover any connexions of the electrical nerves, 
besides those pointed out. It is an interesting fact that the gastric nerves are 
derived from them. Perhaps superfluous electricity, when not required for the 
defence of the animal, may be directed to this organ to promote digestion. In 
the instance of a fish which I had in my possession alive many days, and 
which was frequently excited to give shocks, digestion appeared to have been 
completely arrested ; when it died, a small fish was found in its stomach, 
much in the same state as when it was swallowed ; — no portion of it had been 
dissolved. 
Though I have not found the temperature of the electrical organs higher 
than that of other parts of the fish, or the temperature of the fish generally 
different from that of the water in which it has been confined, yet it seems 
probable that as the branchise are liberally supplied with twigs of the electrical 
nerves, there may be some connexion between its respiratory and electrical 
function ; and I venture to offer the conjecture, that by means of its electricity 
it may have the power of decomposing water and of supplying itself with air, 
when lying covered with mud or sand in situations in which it is easy to con- 
ceive pure air may be deficient ; and, in my experiments, I have often fancied 
that I have witnessed something of the kind, — after repeated discharges of its 
2 n 2 
