CHAPTER LII 



ORDER OF FLYING FISHES 

 SYNENTOGNATHI 



The Common Flying Fish 1 is as necessary to a perfect 

 ocean voyage as a whale and a school of "dolphins." Sud- 

 denly and unexpectedly it breaks out of the side of a wave, 

 and with a tremulous flutter of wing-like pectoral fins — 

 that from the ship's forecastle seem to be ultramarine blue 

 — it feebly guides its course away fi'om the disturbing moun- 

 tain of throbbing steel. The flight of a Flying Fish is usually 

 from 4 to 6 feet above the water, and is sustained for from 

 50 to 100 feet. The greatly enlarged pectoral fins act as 

 wings and furnish the motive power. 



Some one has raised the question, 'Does a Flying Fish 

 move its wings in flight?' Of course it does. On all up 

 grades it gives a stiff wing-stroke about every 3 feet, rises 

 to overtop each advancing wave, and drops as the wave 

 rolls on, like a stormy petrel. 



This is distinctly a mid-ocean fish, but it swims in schools 

 so near to the island of Barbados that the fishermen cap- 

 ture it in great quantities for the markets. It is not unusual 

 to see 2,000 in the market at one time. I have heard much 



1 Ex-o-cae'tus vol'i-tans. 

 252 



