410 Observations on the Flight of Flying Fishes. [Sess. 



the water nothing can be seen of their wings. I have often 

 watched them swimming along the surface, perhaps thirty or 

 forty feet from me, and appearing, through glasses, almost to 

 be within reach of my hand, and yet been able to see nothing 

 of the wings till the fish took to the air. 



The biggest flying-fish I have ever seen I found inside an 

 albacore that I caught in the Gulf of California. The alba- 

 core weighed 150 odd pounds, and the flying-fish must have 

 been at least 2 pounds and about 14 inches long. The 

 smallest was about 1 inch long, and it was sucked through 

 the pump when a bucket of salt water was being drawn. On 

 fine days I have often seen little tiny things like flies flitting 

 about the surface, and I suppose they must be flying-fish also, 

 though I have never been able to catch them. 



IToTE BY Miss Beateice Sprague. 



The accepted theory regarding the flight of flying fishes is 

 that their wings are used merely as parachutes, and are never 

 flapped. Mr Vaughan's observations, however, clearly tend 

 to establish the contrary ; and it seems worth while, in view 

 of this difference of opinion on the subject, to sum up the 

 main points of his argument, as follows: — 



1st. The flight in the air is much swifter than the swim- 

 ming speed ; Mr Vaughan estimates it at from three to four 

 times as great. 



How is the increase in speed to be accounted for, unless the 

 wings flap ? 



2nd. The flight is estimated at from 100 to 150 yards, at 

 a height of only 1 to 2 feet above the surface. 



Could such a long low flight be sustained otherwise than 

 by flapping the wings ? 



3rd. After descending to the surface of the water and 

 dipping its tail in, the fish rises again and continues its flight, 

 and can do this several times in succession. On the parachute 

 theory this would hardly seem possible. 



4th. On being alarmed, the fish rises directly from the spot 

 at which it was before idly moving. If the observation is 

 correct, this alone would dispose of the parachute theory, since 

 the necessary initial impetus would be wanting. 



