Scientific Intelligence — Zoology. 185 



was done with the Koh-i-noor, nobody had any idea of its purity 

 and beauty, and, indeed, nobody till then could say that it was not a 

 piece of glass.* — North British Review^ No. xxx., p. 542. 



ZOOLOGY. 



8. Flying-Fish. — The common opinion that the motion of the Fly- 

 ing-fish through the air is nothing more than a vigorous leap^ sanc- 

 tioned as it is by many honoured names in science, I have long 

 believed to be incorrect, having on several former occasions seen 

 what appeared to me a distinct motion of the fins. To settle this 

 point was one of the desiderata which I had particularly noted down 

 on commencing this voyage ; and the result has fully confirmed my 

 belief. The observations as they occurred, I shall quote in the form 

 in which they were recorded. 



Nov. 20th.— Lsit. 19° 24' N., long. 41° 5' W.— Many Flying- 

 fishes appeared in the course of the day : the first we had observed. 

 They were the silvery species commonly seen in the Atlantic, of 

 middling size, with clear wings ; probably Exocoetus volitans. I 

 now feel certain that these fishes have power to change their direc- 

 tion when in the air ; more than one, which I saw to-day, turned 

 aside at nearly a right angle. 



Nov. 22d. — Flying-fishes leap from the sea every few minutes ; 

 several made courses distinctly angular, and some, I am quite sure, 

 rose and sunk in undulations. To confirm my own observations, 

 I requested a gentleman on board to notice this point ; and he was 

 quite certain of both of these facts. 



Nov. 24:th. — I observed to-day a Flying-fish, after flying a short 

 distance, suddenly turn downward, abruptly and perpendicularly, as 

 if alarmed, and enter the water. The action exactly resembled that 

 of a bird. 



Nov. 26th. — Several times I have observed in the flight of the 

 Exocoetus, when near, an occasional fluttering of the pectorals. In 

 general, these wing-fins appear motionless ; but at the moment of 

 rising to avoid the crest of a wave, there is a slight but rapid vibra- 

 tion of these organs, distinctly perceptible, if the fish be pretty close 

 to the ship. I saw an Exocoetus to-day which was much larger than 

 the species hitherto observed, with the pectorals wholly of a sooty 

 black colour. Probably it is the Exocoetus Noveboracensis of Dekay. 

 The others are still rather numerous, but do not rise in flocks. 



Nov. 27th. — This morning multitudes of Flying-fishes rose, dis- 



• The introduction of ground glass globes into our apartments, however 

 beautiful they may be as objects seen by the eye, destroy the beauty of all other 

 objects. Silver and gold plate, and all other objects that derive their beauty 

 from the reflected light, lose their polish, and have actually the same appear- 

 ance as if their surface was ground. The coloured spectra, too, produced by 

 the diamond and other precious stones, are all dimmed as if they were seen 

 through ground glass. 



