3738 The Zoologist — October, 1873. 



proceeded to a considerable distance before falling into the sea. 

 When these fish merely take a short flight they leap from the 

 water, spread their fins, proceed a little distance and fall into the 

 sea again with a splash ; and, indeed, they all do this, for they do 

 not seem to have the power of diving gracefully beneath their native 

 element. 



The distance they are able to traverse at one time has been 

 variously estimated. As a rule I should consider fifty yards the 

 ordinary extent of their flight, although this of course depends on 

 the force of the wind and the direction the fish may be taking. 

 Two hundred yards would be an unusually long flight, but 1 have 

 occasionally seen individuals go at least a hundred yards further, 

 and I believe if hard pressed they could even exceed that. The 

 distance a fish travels through the air after ricocheting from a 

 wave-top before it again touches the sea, is often much greater 

 than its original flight, and besides gaining fresh impetus from this 

 contact they also re-moisten their gills and refresh themselves. 

 Were they not to do this they would be unable to proceed far, for 

 the tropical sun striking down on them would soon dry up the 

 delicate filaments composing their breathing apparatus. With 

 regard to their position when leaving the sea, and their power to 

 turn to the right or left of tlicir original course of flight, I feel sure, 

 from the observations I have made, that they nearly always rise 

 head to wind, but can turn to the right or left at pleasure. Some- 

 times indeed they will turn completely round and go away rapidly 

 to leeward. What struck me as a most peculiar characteristic is 

 their power, when in the air, of rising and falling with each swell, 

 for during moderate weather I have often observed them spring 

 from the sea, glide above a wave, fall into the succeeding hollow, 

 rise to the next wave, and so continue to the end of their flight 

 without once touching th(j sea. Occasionally when alarmed they 

 rise anyhow, and proceed towards all the points of the compass. 

 When in mid-flight I do not believe they can suddenly divert their 

 course, for one afternoon, as we were steering for the anchorage off 

 Arica, a fish emerged from the sea within ten yards of the ship and 

 flew directly towards her, coming so violently into contact with the 

 ship's side that it fell stunned, and floated astern on the surface of 

 the sea with its pectoral fins rigidly expanded. 



In some book, a long while ago, I remember having seen a 

 pretty picture representing a shoal of flying fish hotly pursued by 



