28 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
worthy of remark is that the Pilchard season of 1879 ran in an unpre- 
cedented manner into January, 1880, whilst the Mackarel season of 1880 
commenced in an equally unprecedented manner in the latter part of 
January, 1880.—THomas CornisH (Penzance). 
Jersey Fisnes.— My assistant, Edward Matthews, has recently 
returned from a collecting expedition to the Channel Islands. Amongst 
other fish obtained while in Jersey, he took specimens of Labrus Donovani 
and Lepadogaster Condollii, the former from lobster-pots and the latter from 
under stones in rock-pools at low tide-—Joun T. Carrineton (Royal 
Aquarium, Westminster). 
(We should have been glad of a little more information concerning 
these two uncommon fishes. Is the first named identical with the Comber 
Wrasse of Couch (vol. iii., p. 82), or in what respect does it differ from it ? 
and has the latter been met with on the British coast? We do not 
recognise the specific name. Descriptions from living specimens are 
always valuable-—Eb.] 
Fuicut or THE Fiyinc Fisn.—Apropos of the remarks which appeared 
under this heading in ‘ The Zoologist’ for November (p. 471), the following 
observations by Mr. Moseley, in his ‘Notes by a Naturalist on The 
Challenger’ (p. 570), will be read with interest by all who are interested 
in this question. He says :—‘ Whilst on the subject of flight, I would say 
a few words about the flight of the Flying-fish. Dr. Mébius has lately 
produced an elaborate paper on the much-vexed question as to whether 
Flying-fish move their wings in flight or not, and after examination of the 
muscular apparatus, and watching the living fish, has come to the concluson 
that they do not do so at all. There are two widely different genera of fish, 
which have developed long wing-like fins for support in progress through 
the air, the ordinary Flying-fish, the various species of Exocetus allied to 
the Gar-fish, and the flying Gurnets, species of the genus Dactylopterus. 
I have never seen any species of Hxocetus flap its wings at all during its 
flight. These fish merely make a bound from the water, and skim supported 
by their extended fins, the tips of which meanwhile quiver in the air 
somewhat occasionally from the shifting a little of their inclination by the 
fish. I believe, however, that I cannot be mistaken in my conviction that 
I haye distinctly seen species of Flying Gurnets move their wings rapidly 
during their flight. I noticed the phenomenon especially in the case of a 
small species of Dactylopterus with beautifully coloured wings, which inhabits 
the Sargasso Sea. Whilst out in a boat collecting animals amongst the 
gulf-weed, these small Flying Gurnets were constantly startled by the boat 
and flew away before it, and as they did so, appeared to me to buzz their 
wings very rapidly. Their mode of flight seemed to me to be closely similar 
to that of many forms of grasshoppers, which cannot fly for any great 
