ANTERIOR LIMBS OF BIRDS, ETC. 87 



hausted, rise again almost instantly, proceed a 

 little further, again dipping into the ocean, so con- 

 tinuing for some distance, until they are out of 

 sight; so that we remain in ignorance whether 

 they have been captured, or have eluded pursuit. 

 " The flying-fish s^vim in shoals ; for, on 

 one day, they are seen rising about, and, in the 

 vicinity of the ship, in great numbers ; and on 

 the day following, or latter part of the same 

 day, only a few stragglers are seen. When 

 disturbed by the passage of a ship through the 

 shoal, they rise in numbers near the bows of 

 the vessel, and the consternation seems to 

 spread among those far distant. The same 

 may be observed when dolphins and albicores 

 are pursuing them. On passing between the 

 islands of Fuego and St. Jago (Cape Verd 

 group) in December, 1828, I witnessed a num- 

 ber of bonitos in pursuit of flying-fish ; the 

 former springing several yards out of the water 

 in eager chase, whilst large shoals of the latter 

 arose with an audible rustling noise before 

 their pursuers, and the chase continued as far 

 as we could see, a number of victims, no doubt, 

 being sacrificed to the voracity of their hunters. 

 Besides the finny enemies, they had to en- 

 counter, as they rose from the water, boobies, 



