12 INCIDENTS OF THE VOYAGE. 



rose on each side, flitting but a yard or so, and often 

 only ruffling the surface. They were in small shoals, 

 each containing about a dozen fishes. 



Nov. 29th. — I noticed a Flying-fish curve its 

 course so as to describe more than half a circle. 



Nov. 30th. — Before breakfast the motion of the 

 ship disturbed multitudes of Flying-fishes of the blue- 

 backed species, which flew in shoals every moment 

 from each side of the bows. Many Bonitos pursuing 

 them were likewise leaping from the surface ; at 

 length a seaman from the martingale struck one of 

 the latter with the grains, and secured it. It was a 

 beautiful fish, remarkably plump and hard ; the 

 rainbow hues of its skin were most rich and lustrous, 

 the pink predominating. Several black stripes run- 

 ning along each side marked it as the Thynnus 

 pelamys of Cuv. et Val. We ate it for dinner, and 

 found the flesh pleasant, but rather dry. In its 

 stomach were six of the Blue-backed Flying-fishes, 

 partly digested. Some large oceanic birds were like- 

 wise pursuing the little aeronauts, swooping down 

 amidst the flitting shoals. As far as I remember, 

 this is the only occasion in which the pursuit of the 

 Exoccetus, by either winged or finned enemies, has 

 ever occurred to my observation ; I incline to think 

 that it is much oftener described than seen. 



Here end my notes of the Flying-fish ; except that 

 long afterwards I saw two or three of the Blue-backed 

 species skimming the surface of Bluefields Bay. 

 Besides the fact, which these notes appear to me to 

 prove, that the Exocceti have the power of increasing, 

 directing and terminating their progress while in the 



