730 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum. 



England, and the Hawaiian Islands ; rather common on onr Atlantic 

 coast, where it spawns in summer ; not known from California or the 

 west coast of Mexico, (evolans, flying away.) (Eu.) 



Exoccetus pinnis ventralibus brevissimus, GRONOW, Zoophylac., 1753,358, Spain. 



Exoccetus evolans, LINNAEUS, Systema Naturae, Ed. xn, 521, 1766, based on GEONOW; GUNTHEE, 



Cat., vi, 282, 1866; LUTKEN, Vid. Medd. Naturh. Foren., 1876, 395, 102. 

 Exoccetus splendens, ABEL, Narr. Voyage China, 4, 1818, China; (fide VALENCIENNES). 

 Exoccetus (jeorgianus, CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hibt. Nat. Poiss., xix, 139, 1846, 5 N., 92 W ; 



GUNTHER, Cat, vi, 279, 1866; LUTKEN, Vid. Medd. Naturh. Foren, 394, 101, 1876; young 



examples, with barbel. 

 ? Exocvetus monocirrhus, KICHABDSON, Ichth. China, 265, 1846, China; GUNTHER, Cat., vi, 279> 



1866; young examples, with barbel. 



Exoccetus cMlensis, ABBOTT, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1860, 472, Chile. 

 Exoccetus obtusiroslris,* GUNTHER, Cat., vi, 283, 1866, Cape Verde Islands; India; New Orleans; 



IICTK.EN, Vid. Medd. Naturh. Foren., 395, 1876. 



Halocypselus evolans, JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 377, 1883; JORDAN & MEEK, I. c., 49. 

 Halocypselus obtmirostris, JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 378, 1883. 



335. EXOCCETUS (Artedi) Linnaeus. 

 (FLYING-FISHES.) 



Exocoelus, ARTEDI, Genera Piscium, 6, 1738. 



Exoccetus, LINN^US, Systema Natura?, Ed. x, 1758, 316, (volitans). 



Oypselurus,^ SWAINSON, Class'n Fishes, etc., n, 296, 1839, (nuttalli). 



Body elongate, broad above, somewhat compressed. Head short, blunt, 

 narrowed below. Mouth small. Jaws* very short, about- equal. Chin 

 without barbel. Maxillaries not joined to the premaxillaries. Teeth very 

 feeble or wanting. Eyes large. Gill rakers moderate. Scales large, decid- 

 uous. No finlets. Dorsal fin short, opposite anal. Caudal widely forked, 

 the lower lobe the longer. Pectoral fins very long, reaching past the 

 beginning of the anal, and serving as organs of flight, their great size 

 enabling these fishes to sustain themselves in the air for some time.t 



* This form, Halocypselus obtusiroslris, is defined by Giinther as having the snout shorter, % 

 diameter of eye, and the head more elevated, its depth % its length. LUtken observes: " The 

 dorsal fin inserted above or behind the first ray of the anal; the distance from the snout to the 

 first ray of the ventrals less than the distance between the root of the ventral and last ray of 

 the dorsal; 7 to 8 rows of scales above the lateral line; fins more distinctly marked. D. 13; A. 

 13. Lateral line 40," and further adds, "Although in most cases it is easy enough to decide 

 'whether a given specimen is evolans or obtusirostris,' yet there are some in which the determi- 

 nation seems to be almost arbitrary, therefore I am not fully convinced of their specific inde- 

 pendence." The two nominal species occupy the same range, and we think the distinctions of 

 obtusiroslris to be individual variation. 



f The name Cypselurus has been used by Swainson, Weinland, and others for those flyine-fishes 

 which are provided with 1 or 2 fleshy barbels or ribbons at the chin. These, we are fully con- 

 vinced, are the young- of other nominal species, *vhich are destitute of barbels. It is probable 

 that these appendages disappear at different ages in different individuals. In 2 species (mesoyas- 

 ter, usually described as destitute of barbels, and furcatus, described a {with barbels) we have 

 examined specimens both with and without these appendages. The name Cypselurus having beeu 

 given to a species with the anal fin short, may be retained for the group or subgenus thus defined, 

 which may perhaps be found worthy of generic rank. 



J Observations on the flight of these fishes and especially of Exoccetus californicus have been sev- 

 eral times made under most favorable conditions by Dr. Charles H. Gilbert and the writers. The 

 flying-fishes live in the open sea, swimming in large schools. They will "fly" a distance of 

 from a few rods to more than an eighth of a mile, rarely rising more than 3 or 4 feet. Their 

 movements in the water are extremely rapid; the sole source of motive power is the action of tb 

 strong tail while in the water. No force is acquired while the fish is in the air. On rising from 

 the water, the movements of the tail are continued until the whole body is out of the water. 



hile the tail is in motion, the pectorals seem to be in a state of rapid vibration, but this is 

 apparent only, due to the resistance of the air to the motions of the animal. While the tail ib 



