ANTERIOR LIMBS OF BIEDS, ETC. 83 



gurnards and the flying-fish belong to two very- 

 different sections of the class of fishes. In 

 both, however, the pectoral fins are greatly- 

 expanded, and in the flying-gurnards, (Dacty- 

 lopterus — Cuv. ; Trigla — Linn.) as well as in 

 the genus exocetus, are developed into beautiful 

 and ample parachutes, by some regarded as 

 wings. In their habits these flying-fish, 

 whether gurnards or exoceti, much resemble 

 each other. In the water they are pursued by 

 dorados, dolphins, bonitos, etc. ; and on rising 

 into the air they are pounced upon by gannets, 

 tropic birds, gulls, and others that hover over 

 the teeming ocean, and derive their support 

 from its exhaustless magazine. 



It is easy to imderstand how it is that voy- 

 accers. little conversant with natural history, 

 confound these air-skimming fishes under one 

 term; nor can we always determine, in reading 

 the travels of zoologists, to which fish their 

 descriptions are intended to apply. It is most 

 probably to the true flying-fish, (^Exocetus,) 

 that the following interesting observations by 

 G. Bennett, esq., (see Wanderings, etc.,) are 

 applicable. They convey a clear idea of the 

 use of its vast but delicate pectoral fins. 



" On arriving in the tropical regions, this 



