ANIMAL FLIGHT I35 



who has seen them at close quarters can doubt the movement 

 of their tins. Therefore, while flying-fish are mainly gliders, 

 their flight to some extent is aided by the movement of their 

 fins. 



While flying-fishes jump from the water and glide away 

 right and left before a steamer, a small boat does not disturb 

 them in the least. If you are out in a small boat there may 

 be thousands of them about you and you may never learn their 

 presence. Through this peculiarity they are easy to secure. 



When the trade wind is blowing the surface of the sea is 

 covered with Httle waves from which the sunlight is reflected 

 so that a relatively small amount penetrates beneath the sur- 

 face. While to us the ocean looks especially bright and spark- 

 ling in a brisk breeze, beneath the surface it is dark and 

 gloomy, for all the myriads of sparkles that catch our eye mean 

 a corresponding amount of light rebounding from the surface 

 instead of penetrating. It is under these conditions that the 

 fishermen go forth to catch the flying-fish. For this they must 

 go for a long distance, until the shore begins to disappear, as 

 the flying-fish is preeminently a creature of the high seas and 

 well knows the dangers that lurk in shallow water. Having 

 arrived at what he considers a suitable location, the fisherman 

 throws overboard some oily matter, usuafly, because most 

 available, some half decayed fl}-ing-fishes from a previous 

 catch. The oil spreads out and forms a relatively quiet area 

 about the boat; the waves within this cease to sparkle, and 

 the surface here takes on a dark and gloomy aspect. But 

 looked at from below just the reverse occurs; the stifling of the 

 wavelets results in the formation of a brilliantly lighted patch. 

 Though previously no flying-fish at afl were visible, the water 

 about the boat now teems with them; they have come from 

 all directions attracted by the bright spot on the surface. With 

 frantic haste they are scooped into the boat with dip-nets — 

 they do not attempt to fly — untfl suddenly they all vanish. 

 Immediately several large hooks on strong lines are thrown out, 

 each with a flying-fish as bait, and one or more is often seized 



