The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-08-04
the Ell ECTRIC EEIS.
Administering severe shocks 90 CATFISH aud
% - Yellow Perch.


Those electric cells In the New York Aqua
rum are specimens of the real gy'nnotus. and
came last week per schooner Mngraba, Capt.
George Abbott. from the Amazon river. South
America. Their length Is almost four feet they
are thicker in body than the largest common
eel. There are two. and they are in two
adjoining tanks glass on both sides. When
they were transferred from thcr small travel
ling boxes into the moro spacious tanks
OF the Aquarium. they were very restless.
and ono of the attendants experienced with
out intending It. their electric power. which
Notwithstanding the fatigue Of long Journey.
was very respectable A slight touch Of the
smooth. Shiny body was suhicientto communi-
cate such n severe shock that tho man was com
planning several hours later OF unusual puins
in his shoulder and elbows.
The excitement Of the fishes upon being
placed in their new quarters was very great.
They dashed through their tanks in all direct
ions. forward and backward tried to jump
out and splnshed tho water all over the neighbor-
hood. II took them n long time to get quiet.
A lively yellow perch was put into the tank OF
The presence Of the strange visitors excited the
cells, and they made directly for them, touching
their bodies in several places with TIE end OF
their plump SHOUTS. 1t looked rs Il they in
tended to bore into the bodies OF the fishes. Both
the perch aud the catfish palpitnted violently AT
tho moment when the GELS touched them. ex-
actly like a person who gets shock from an
electric machine when unpreparcd Tor It. the
porch seemed to have been hit violently so that
lost It's balance. and with open MOUTH SWAN ON ~
side. Yet n required only n short while for both
fishes TO recover. and in TWO or thre1 minu I'VE,
orous Ms before. Tho GELS removed their NJ,
tacks. but the result was, weaker IN both OF
them and il really seemed rs II they were not
able to Kill the fishes by their mysterious power
The contest continued, and one OF the eels
Gradually got more excited. Instead of merely
n - Ia
opened its mouth and laid both lips close 10 the
body OF the lsh. The, electric discharges
became moro frequent at the same time. ana ~
about seventy-iive minutes the perch was deal
Tho catfish, however. sustained ali tho dls-
charges Of its deadly companion without any
apparent consequences. aud both fishes nre. or
were some hours since. swimming apparently
peacefully ana soeally hohsslu" pl rni' oe'ivi
An unexpected observation, ana when we De
lieve has never been mentioned by any nalulUl-
ist before DR.. Dornor, is the remarkanlc, way IN
which these GELS breathe. As Il generally known.
| the respiratory movements consist in alterraie-
| ~ opening and closing the mouth ana gu sllt'
and only when the fishes are in want OF air. nav
| ing had an insufficient supply from the water.
| they ascend 10 the surface in order 10 swallow
air from the aimosHhcre 19y rev c,, m7es
air bladder AS for instance. the gar pike, or the
fresh water dogish lhoth are exhibited IN
] the Aqlariuml. come to the surface regularly
| in order 10 inhale and eXhale air in the same
! way that seals and whales do. The doghSn docs
this about twice IN nm ho9ri tle Enr DIM "a,
| much longer intervals and noth fishes, Wnen
/ under the surface. open and close thelr mouths
/ and Gill Sits quite regularly. Ike all DINER
| fishes. Tho electric eel. however, taxes TIE
greater part OF It's respiratory mir directly from
| the atmosphere. ut intervals OF ono or two min
| utes sometimes less, sometimes more. bu
| generally not slower than the seal.
Each of the electric cells Of the Aquarium
comes ~ tho surface brings the end OF Us
suout into the air. takes a. portion OF II. th'
throat becoming wider. and in tho next mo-
ment 1t gups the air down. or let5 II escape
through one of the gill openings. Sometimcs
when resting mt the bottom. tho eel allows
great quantity Of air to escape 10y deep nolch II
the centre of the lower jaw. permitting inns es
cape without opening its mouth. In regard u
cxhalation there IL great observation-disclosures
times the air escapes through one. sometime
through the other of the gill openings some
times through the mouth. The quantity OF TN
outgoing air is also changeable. being some
times four times greater than nj o'her times
but the inhaling Il quite regular -,
The electric eel has two connected air blad
ders two and half feet long and therefor
there Is no doubt of It's acting As renl luhg
The length of the hladders COMPRISES two
thirds OF the entire body. No doubt the air biad
ders nre Of greater importance IN the respiril
tory functions OF the electric GELS than the gills
This accounts for the fact that the respirator
movements noticed in other fishes for hours ar
totally absent in the electric ecls. Several WISH
ors. after watching the creatures Few momehu
believed them to bc dead until the hscendln
movement convinced them of their being aiN
II il only nj long intervals that the mouth
slightly opened and closed while in the waite
and in these instances the coming To- Ia" sul
face ceases for length OF time. fcrhNps VI
animal sleeps M this timc. Its eyes though
are 50 small 1t is difficult TO tell whether the
are open or not.