Wing Shots at Sea 



the blue channel, forming the base of a high moun- 

 tain the flying or soaring game became more plenti- 

 ful. The fishes came from every direction; now 

 dashing up under the cutwater, or again, startled by 

 a tuna, flying head on, or even coming up behind us, 

 though racing with the boat. The bay ahead the 

 famous tuna ground was like glass, not a breeze 

 disturbing its surface; yet, as we drew near, great 

 splashes of foam dotted it here and there; and 

 beyond, the foam was continuous, as though a heavy 

 sea was breaking upon the rocks. But the error of 

 this conclusion soon became apparent. The masses 

 of foam were caused by the leaps of the tuna flush- 

 ing the flying-fishes, which were darting into the air 

 in every direction. In a few minutes the launch 

 was in the center of the commotion, which covered 

 acres of the bay, and the flashes from the guns told 

 of the accumulation of valuable tuna bait, which was 

 in high demand. 



While the actions of the flying-fishes before a 

 launch running at full speed may be compared to 

 those of quail, they are more mechanical, and the 

 game goes whirring away more like a clay pigeon, 

 and quite as difficult to shoot, as the fish have, to a 

 greater or less extent, the color of the water and 

 quickly disappear. A few weeks later along these 

 shores, where the kelp formed literal hanging gar- 

 dens, I found the young flying-fishes, the size of 

 grasshoppers, leaping from the water almost a foot 



195 



