354 A DESCRIPTION OP 
width. The flesh of the Thornback is inferior to that of 
the Skate. It is sometimes eaten in England, but is 
generally sold at a low price. The young ones, however, 
which have the denomination of Maids, are delicate eat- 
THE TORPEDO, OR ELECTRIC RAY. 
(Raia Torpedo.) 
THIS curious fish gives a smart shock to a person who 
handles it, similar to that produced by the electrical 
machine. The body of this fish is nearly circular, and 
thicker than any other of the Ray kind. Torpedos are 
sometimes so large as to weigh between seventy and eighty 
pounds. The skin is smooth, of a dusky brown colour, 
and white underneath. The ventral fins form on each 
side, at the end of the body, nearly a quarter of a circle. 
The tail is short, and the two dorsal fins are near its ori- 
gin. The mouth is small, and, as in the other species, 
there are on each side below it five breathing apertures. 
The shock imparted by the touch of the Cramp-fish, as 
the Torpedo is vulgarly called, is often attended with a 
sudden sickness at the stomach, a general tremor, a kind 
of convulsion, and sometimes a total suspension of the 
