17 



more remarkable in the Frog-fish. These are found 

 in great numbers in the river Surinam. At first they 

 are perfect frogs, they are spotted with brown, yel- 

 low, and green, but are paler on the belly ; their 

 hinder feet are webbed like those of a goose, the fore- 

 feet without webs. The first change the animal under, 

 goes is by the growing of a tail. After this the fore- 

 feet decrease, and perish by degrees. The decrease of 

 the hinder legs follows, and at last the frog is changed 

 into a perfect fish, 



It may not be unacceptable or unprofitable to those 

 who see God even in his lowest works, to add a short 

 account of a few mo?e inhabitants of the waters. 



Flying-Fish are very rarely a foot long. They 

 have a pretty large, though thin and light head ; 

 the mouth is generally open ; the body small, round, 

 ish, and tapering towards the tail ; besides the 

 usual fins, they have under their necks three broad 

 and pretty long ones, of a more subtle structure, 

 nearly as thin as a fly's wing, but strengthened with 

 TOWS of bones. On the back part of their neck they 

 have also a flying fin about six inches long, quite erect ; 

 and lower down the back there is another shorter, but 

 broader. These wings they use to escape -the pursuit 

 of creatures too powerful for them. They rise several 

 feet above the water, and fly the length of two or three 

 musket-shot, then they drop, because their wings are 

 dry, which serve them no longer than they are inoi&t, 



The Ink. fish, as some call it, has a still more extra* 

 ordinary wa^ of escaping its pursuers. " I have lately, 

 says the author of the Natural History of Norway, 

 procured a dried one, which is two feet long. The 

 body is almost round, resembling a small ba, and is 

 blunt at both ends ; but the head is the most remark- 

 able part, it has two large eyes, and a mouth like a 

 bird's beak; above this stand eight horns, like a star ; 

 each horn is octangular, and covered with many small 



