30 FLYING-FISH. 



I have frequently derived both information and 

 amusement by watching the flight of these fish ; 

 to observe them skim the surface qf the water 

 for a great distance, sometimes before, and at 

 other times against the direction of the wind, 

 elevating themselves either to a short height 

 from the surface, or to five or six feet, and then, 

 diverging a little from their course, drop sud- 

 denly into their proper element ; sometimes 

 when their flight was not high above the water, 

 and it blew fresh, they would meet with an 

 elevated wave, which invariably buried them 

 beneath it, but they would often again start 

 from it and renew their flight. 



I have never yet been able to see any percus- 

 sion of the pectoral fins during flight, although 

 such a high authority as Cuvier says, '' the 

 animal beats the air during the leap, that is, it 

 alternately expands and closes its pectoral fins ;" 

 and Dr. Abel also supports this opinion, and 

 says that it agrees with his experience ; he has 

 repeatedly seen the motion of the fins during 

 flight, and as flight is only " swimming in air," 

 it appears natural that those organs should be 

 used in the same manner in both elements. 

 But the structure of a fin is not that of a wing ; 

 the pectoral fins or wings of the flying fish are 

 simply enlarged fins, capable of supporting. 



