FLYING FISHES AND THEIR HABITS. 507 



three principal market fishes of Barbados, the others being " snap- 

 periii^ " for the snapper (Ocyurus chrysurufi) and " brinimin<>: " 

 for the bi'ini or bream {KteliH ocnlatus). Accordin<i' to a rejjort of 

 the West India royal commission of 1897, '' the flying-fish season 

 extends over about seven months — from December to July. After 

 July " the fishes '"■ become poor in size and quality and develop what 

 are known to the fishermen as ' feathers,' but are probably some kind 

 of parasite," probably the crustacean Penella^ '' which infests their 

 bodies and renders them unfit for food." 



The royal commission of 1897 reported that " an average catch 

 may be put down at 1,000 to 1,500 fish, but it not unfreipiently hap- 

 pens that the take reaches as high a figure as 5,000. The heaviest 

 catches are made in April and May. At such times the supply 

 sometimes exceeds the demand, when great quantities are w^asted or 

 merely used as manure. The average quantity landed monthly at 

 Bridgetown fish market in a good season is 390,000, and the average 

 price obtained may be put down at the rate of 150 fish for one dollar. 

 The owner of a boat takes a third of the whole catch ; the remaining 

 two-thirds is divided among the hands. The building and fitting of a 

 ilying fish boat is about $150, and the annual outlay in repairs, etc., 

 amounts to about $30." 



Flying fishes might be regarded as unlikely subjects for fly an- 

 gling, but Francis Smith (1875) experimented w^ith gratification to 

 himself. " The monotony of a sea cruise was pleasantly broken on 

 the 25th of January by an occurrence so unusual as to excite the 

 wonder of the oldest sailors. Oif the coast of Peru a large shoal of 

 flying fish appeared and afforded excellent sport during the after- 

 noon. A variety of baits were employed in their capture — bits of 

 red bunting, small spoon baits, and artificial minnows and flies — the 

 most taking being a large red fly and a small gilt minnow, but all the 

 baits mentioned caught some. In following the minnow through the 

 water, the fish would open both pectoral fins and poise themselves 

 for a rush at it; spreading the wings also had the effect of checking 

 their progress if their suspicions were aroused by a near inspection 

 of the bait. ^\lien hooked they proved a very game fish, taking out 

 several yards of line in their first rush, and often taking a flight in 

 the air, line and all." 



VI. 



The many species of the exocoetine flying fishes naturally appear 

 under many modifications of varying significance and have been 

 segregated in six genera. Four may be diagnosed here. 



Most of them have the snout short and the low^er jaw more or less 

 obtuse, the pectorals elongate and extensible nearly or quite to the 

 caudal, the ventrals inserted behind the middle of body and extensible 



