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Description

After referring to the phenomena manifested by electrical fish, and to alleged instances of numbing effects, but of doubtful electrical nature, produced on the naked hand by the contact of certain marine Invertebrata, McDonnell describes his own observations and experiments with the Actinia.

Annotations in pencil throughout.

Subject: Zoology / Electricity

Received 30 November 1857. Communicated by William Bowman.

Whilst the Royal Society declined to publish this paper in full, an abstract of the paper was published in volume 9 of the Proceedings of the Royal Society as 'On the electrical nature of the power possessed by the actiniæ of our shores'.

Reference number
AP/40/9
Earliest possible date
1857
Physical description
Ink and graphite pencil on paper
Page extent
17 pages
Format
Manuscript

Creator name

Robert McDonnell

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Citation

Robert McDonnell, Unpublished paper, 'On the electrical nature of the power possessed by Actiniae of our shores' by Robert McDonnell, 1857, AP/40/9, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_40_9/unpublished-paper-on-the-electrical-nature-of-the-power-possessed-by-actiniae-of-our-shores-by-robert-mcdonnell, accessed on 22 April 2026

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  • Archived Papers

    The 'Archived Papers' collection is comprised of original manuscript scientific papers and letters submitted to the Royal Society which remained unpublished or were abstracted in the journal 'Proceedings of the Royal Society' published from 1830 onwards.

    Dates: 1768 - 1989

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