LIFE OX THE OCEAN SURFACE. 571 



whether Flying-fish move their wings in flight or not, and after 

 examination of the muscular apparatus, and watching the living 

 fish, has come to the conclusion that they do not do so at all. 

 There are two widely different genera of fish, which have deve- 

 loped long wing-like fins for support in progress through the 

 air, the ordinary Flying-fish, the various species of Exoccetus 

 allied to the Gar-fish, and the Flying Gurnets, species of the 

 genus Dactylopterus. 



I have never seen any species of Exoccetus flap its wings at 

 all during its flight. These fish merely make a bound from the 

 water, and skim supported by their extended fins, the tips of 

 which meanwhile quiver in the air somewhat occasionally, from 

 the action of air-currents against them, and sometimes from the 

 shifting a little of their inclination by the fish. 



I believe, however, that I cannot be mistaken in my convic- 

 tion, that I have distinctly seen species of Flying Gurnets move 

 their wings rapidly during their flight. I noticed the pheno- 

 menon especially in the case of a small species of Dactylopterus 

 with beautifully coloured wings, which inhabits the Sargasso Sea. 

 Whilst out in a boat collecting animals amongst the Gulf Weed, 

 these small Flying Gurnets were constantly startled by the boat 

 and flew away before it, and as they did so, appeared to me to 

 buzz their wings very rapidly. 



Their mode of flight seemed to me to be closely similar to 

 that of many forms of Grasshoppers, which cannot fly for any 

 great distance, but raise themselves from the ground with a 

 spring, and eking out their momentum as much as they can by 

 buzzing their wings, fall to the ground after a short flight. 



I watched these little Flying-fish fly along before the boat, at 

 a height of about a foot above the water, for distances of 15 or 

 20 yards, and I chased them and caught one or two with a hand 

 net amongst the Weed. Dr. Mobius who similarly watched the 

 flight of a species of Flying Gurnet maintains that neither forms of 

 Flying-fish flap their wings at all during flight. I do not consider 

 the question as yet set at rest. Of course no Flying-fish can raise 

 themselves in the air at all by means of their wings alone. 



There are even Pelagic insects. One of these (Haldbates) 

 was constantly caught during our voyage in the towing net in 



