10 INCIDENTS OF THE VOYAGE. 



few minutes ; several made courses distinctly angu- 

 lar, and some, I am quite sure, rose and sunk in un- 

 dulations. To confirm my own observations, I re- 

 quested a gentleman on board to notice this point ; 

 and he was quite certain of both these facts. 



Nov. 24:th. — I observed to-day a Flying-fish, after 

 flying a very short distance, suddenly turn down- 

 ward, abruptly and perpendicularly, as if alarmed, 

 and enter the water. The action exactly resembled 

 that of a bird. 



Nov. 25th. — Several times I have observed in the 

 flight of the Exocoetus, when near, an occasional 

 fluttering of the pectorals. In general, these wing- 

 fins appear motionless ; but at the moment of rising 

 to avoid the crest of a wave, there is a slight but 

 rapid vibration of these organs, distinctly perceptible, 

 if the fish be pretty close to the ship. I saw an Exo- 

 coetus to-day which was much larger than the species 

 hitherto observed, with the pectorals wholly of a 

 sooty black colour. Probably it is the Exocoetus 

 Novehoracensis of Dekay. The others are still 

 rather numerous, but do not rise in flocks. 



Nov. 27th. — This morning multitudes of Flying- 

 fishes rose, disturbed by the ship ; a distinct species, 

 differing from both the former in many points (Plate I. 

 Fig. 1.). This species is much smaller; the pec- 

 torals are so delicately transparent as to be almost 

 invisible ; the upper parts are of a fine deep blue ; 

 their flight is swifter, more hurried, and continued 

 for a shorter distance ; they often merely shoot along 

 at the surface, just cutting the water, and sometimes 

 emerge for five or six feet only. The form appears 



