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interior of South America my four companions and I watched and 

 discussed the movements of these small, sunfish-shaped skimmers 

 of the river surface. They .did not " fly " in the air so much as they 

 skipped over the calm water of tlie Potaro in a perfectly straight 

 line for from 5 to 20 yards by a sculling motion of the tail. The 

 fore part of the rounded abdomen also rested on the surface and 

 seemed to furnish some support as the fish scudded along. Doctor 

 Gilford, who watched many of these fish very critically, feels certain 

 that he never saw one, on that journey, rise free of the water and 

 actually " fly " through the air, like Exocoetus. On the other hand, 

 he believes he has seen Cypselurus calif ornicus use his pectorals, like 

 a huge dragon fly, as an actual propeller. He has not seen them 

 fly more than 100 yards and then not more than 2 or 3 feet above 

 the waves. 



I have discussed this matter with many observers, in particular 

 with an old sea captain interestcvi in natural history who had for 

 hours at a time watched flying fish all over the world. He placed 

 the limit of flight in any species he had seen at 200 yards, and the 

 highest point of their trajectory at 4 feet. Ault (Geographic Maga- 

 zine, Dec. 1922, p. 642) agrees with Gifford in believing that some 

 of these fish are able to continue flight, changing direction and going 

 much farther than momentum alone could carry them. He claims 

 that the vibrations of the wing fins have been seen frequently by 

 several observers. 



Another authority. Doctor Hankin, is of opinion (Nature, Aug. 

 18, 1921) that although at the beginning of their glide they may flap 

 their large triangular pectorals a few times and though they vary 

 the position and planes of part or the whole of their transport fins, 

 as the soaring hawk curls and arranges his wings to take advantage 

 of a favoring wind or air current, yet it is the propulsion out of the 

 water and the succeeding glide that constitute the so-called flight of 

 the flying fish ; they do not fly as birds do. The mechanism of this 

 locomotion has, as every naturalist knows, been discussed innumer- 

 able times in literature like its analogous process, the soaring of the 

 hawk or vulture. 



In Barbados I had an opportunity of seeing the fisher boys catch 

 the variety that abounds on that island coast. They are a dark- 

 backed, trout-like species about 10 inches in length, their pectorals 

 attached to the bodies like the gossamer wings of huge dragon flies. 

 They also gave one the impression of a folded fan with little rudder- 

 like accessories. I saw how these fish are caught in that particular 

 part of the island. They are first attracted by pieces of meat — often 

 distinctly odorous — inclosed in a wicker container which is "jiggled" 

 up. and down in the water from the stern of the fisherman's boat. 

 The fish thus enticed are landed by means of a dip or other net. 



