the Fh,ui<j-Ji^h Prulh'i,}, X\?> 



not fitted for flapijiiig, an idea wliicli naturally greatly in- 

 creases (lilliculty (I). Had Mr. Aflalo been certain of the 

 two facts that tlie wings were fitted for flapping and that 

 "sailing" was for tlie fish ordinarily iiiipossible, it cannot 

 he doubted that his views would have been stronger and 

 expressed very difl'erently. 



Among quite recent papers upon this question, two should 

 be especially noted. Lionel E. Adams, B.A., writes in the 

 'Zoologist' (April 4th, llJOC)) an article interesting through- 

 out. 1 quote from p. 1 IG : " .... I was often al)le to see 



them against the sky I could see quite distinctly that 



their tails were vibrating very rapidly from side to side 

 during the whole flight, and that the wings would vibrate 

 with an intensely rapid shivering motion for a second, tlien 

 remain outspread motionless for one or two seconds, and 

 then vibrate again. This vibration of the wings is not 

 up and down as in the case when birds fly, but in an 

 almost horizontal direction." 



That is a quite possible explanation of tlie mode of flight, 

 provided that a sufficient speed be acquired in the inter- 

 mediate flappings, but this the known speed of the fish shows 

 to be not commonly the ease. 



Again, on p. 148: "I am perfectly well aware that a 

 casual glance at flying-fish from the lofty deck of a liner 

 gives the impression that they soar like birds with motionless 

 wings, but watch them at close quarters from the deck of a 

 low-wnisted tramp and the vibratory motion of the tail and 

 fins will be quite plain." 



Interesting as is Mr. Adams's paper, T cannot but think that 

 he is partly mistaken in his view s, and that the wing-vibration 

 which he discerned was really less rapid than the movement 

 in the period following which he believed to be one of 

 stillness, just as the liner-passengers mistook his vibrations 

 for stillness. I do not say that the fish could never arrive 

 at a speed by which a very short aeroplane flight could be 

 attained even with their low ratio ; but I do say that 

 such is not their common speed, and that in any case their 

 disregard of wind-direction disproves such flight. 



Therefore another way must be looked for, and we are 

 driven back, perforce, to continuous wing-action, the manner 

 of which may be here examined as carefully as our information 

 allows. 



Premising that the flight varies greatly on different days 

 and under difterent conditions, the following is pj-obably a 

 iair description of their methods in an ordinary flight : — ' 



1. The tail-impelledj visibly (to many) wing-assisted jump 



