the FUght of Flying-fish. 391 



The flight of two or three Individuals, one falling, another 

 rising, is thus blended into one apparently continuously 

 undulating movement, while the sudden leap which precedes 

 each rise in the air escapes notice. The fish is, in fact, so 

 silvery and difficult to follow with the eyes, especially when 

 of small size, that I would on no account trust the casual 

 observations of an ordinary observer. I suspect that even 

 Mr. Wallace, who had no especial scientific purpose in view 

 when he saw the flying-fish, may have been deceived by their 

 rapid motions. This is the more likely since Professor 

 Kukenthal, who took particular trouble to investigate the 

 flying-fish of almost the same seas, and who used a small 

 boat in order that his observations should be the more accu- 

 rate, is quite convinced that he never saw an instance of true 

 flight amongst them. 



More positive and inexplicable are the statements of 

 Professor Whitman, who declares that he was able to see 

 " distinctly the individual flaps of the large pectorals, while 

 the ventrals were held in quiet expansion. The flapping 

 movement, which is quite regular and rapid — so rapid that 

 it is not easily recognized at any great distance until expe- 

 rience has sharpened the eye, — may be continued for the 

 whole or part of the flight, but it is generally discontinued 

 after the first iG\Y rods, and the course completed by a pure 

 skimming or sailing movement. In some cases I have seen 

 the flapping of the fins renewed once or twice after short 

 intervals of the sailing movement " *. 



(Similarly, Captain A. R. ^5. Anderson f describes " a very 

 rapid fluttering of their wings, lasting for two or threeseconds," 

 and has " very occasionally .... observed these fish fluttering 

 their wings without touching tiie water with their caudal and 

 ventral fins." 



Such diametiically opposing statements repeated by well- 

 qualified obseiveis make it seem extremely likely that the 

 fish which came under the notice of Professor Whitman, 

 Captain Anderson, and myself were (as is more than possible) 

 totally distinct. But amongst so much apparent contradiction 

 there is really almost complete accord on the one important 

 point — namely, that the so-called " fluttering " or " flapping," 

 if it does occur, is alniost invariably discontinued after the 



* 0/j. ciY. p. 646. 



t ' Administration Report of the Marine Survey of India for tlie Official 

 Year 1898-1899.' Bombay : Government Central Press, 1900. Noticed 

 by 11. L. in ' Nature,' .February 28, 1901, p. 427. I have 7iot been able 

 to see the original. A like observation has been made by the editor of 

 the * Eoyal Natural History.' 



