122 GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 



journey, which seems confirmed by the cir- 

 cumstance that their bodies when taken out 

 of the water, even if wiped dry with a cloth, 

 become instantly moist again. Mr. Campbell, 

 a friend of Dr. Hancock's, resident in Esse- 

 quibo, once fell in with a drove of these animals, 

 which were so numerous, that the Indians filled 

 several baskets with them. 



Another migrating fish was found by thou- 

 sands in the ponds and all the fresh waters of 

 Carolina, by Bosc ; and as these pools are sub- 

 ject to be dry in summer, the Creator has fur- 

 nished this fish, as well as one of the flying 

 ones, 1 by means of a membrane which closes 

 its mouth, with the faculty of living out of water, 

 and of travelling by leaps, to discover other pools. 

 Bosc often amused himself with their motions 

 when he had placed them on the ground, and he 

 found that they always direct themselves towards 

 the nearest water, which they could not possibly 

 see, and which they must have discovered by 

 some internal index ; during their migrations 

 they furnish food to numerous birds and reptiles. 

 They belong to a genus of abdominal fishes, 2 

 and are called swampines. It is evident from 

 this statement that these fishes are both fitted 

 by their Creator, not only to exist, but also move 

 along out of the water, and are directed by the in- 

 stinct implanted by him, to seek the nearest pool 



1 Exoccetus. " Hydrargyra. 



