SS4 ISLBS 6t ^tMilfiR. 



that feed upon them. As some kinds of Bahama fish are always 

 poisonous, these may infect other fish when they liappen occa- 

 sionally to dine upon them. The toad fish is so poisonous that 

 in one case the exlialation from it severely affected a gentleman 

 who was mounting it. 



Flying Fish are very plentiful in the Bahama waters. While 

 yachting outside of Nassau harbor, and during our steamship 

 voyages between Florida and the islands, it was an agreeable 

 pastime to observe them. They looked like small birds, and 

 skimmed along above the water like flocks of ducks, maintaining 

 themselves in the air for so long a period of time that those not 

 familiar with them would naturally suppose them to be a species 

 of water fowl. Catesby says that this singular fish has a somewhat 

 loug and round body, and a small mouth, without teeth; that 

 the two fins behind the gills are extraordinarily large, and spread 

 very wide; that upon the hind part of its back there is another 

 small fin; that under it there is a fourth one, thin, large and 

 forked; that its scales are like those of the herriug, bat of a darker 

 color; that, as they are a prey to both fish and fowls, nature has 

 given them large fins which serve them not only for swimming, 

 but for flight, and that it is a good table fish. 



The Rudder Fish is described by the same author as being 

 quite small, but able, notwithstanding, to keep pace with ships 

 of the largest class. The upper part of its body is brown, with 

 large specks of dusky yellow. The under part of its body is 

 alternately streaked with white and yellow. He adds that in 

 crossing the ocean, ships are seldom free from them. 



The Murray^ says Mr. Catesby, in its structure resembles the 

 common eel; the iris of the eye is white; two fleshy barbels hang 

 from the nostrils; a fin with an even white ridge begins behind 

 the head, and extends the whole length of the back. The whole 

 body is covered with a light gray skin, sprinkled v/ith innumer- 



