PISCES—FLYING-FISH. Tor 
THE FLYING-FISH!? 

Tue body of this fish is oblong; the head is almost three cornered ; the fin 
covering the gills with ten rays; the pectoral fin placed high, andas long as 
the whole body; the back fin at the extremity of the back. ‘The tail is 
bifureated. As itis asmall animal, seldom growing above the size of a 
herring, it is chiefly sought by the dorado. Nature has furnished each respec- 
tively with the powers of pursuit and evasion. The dorado being above six 
feet long, yet not thicker than a salmon, and furnished with a full comple- 
ment of fins, cuts its way through the water, with amazing rapidity ; on the 
other hand, the flying-fish is furnished with two pair of fins, longer than 
the body, and these also moved by a stronger set of muscles than any other. 
This equality of power seems to furnish one of the most entertaining spec- 
tacles those seas can exhibit. The efforts to seize on the one side, and the 
arts of escaping on the other, are perfectly amusing. The dorado is seen, 
upon this occasion, darting after its prey, which will not leave the water, 
while it has the advantage of swimming, in the beginning of the chase. 
But, like a hunted hare, being tired at last, it then has recourse to another 
expedient for safety, by flight. The long fins, which began to grow useless 
in the water, are now exerted in a different manner and different direction 
to that in which they were employed in swimming; by this means the timid 
little animal rises from the water, and flutters over its surface, for two or 
three hundred yards, till the muscles employed in moving the wings, are 
enfeebled by that particular manner of exertion. By this time, however, 
they have acquired a fresh power of renewing their efforts in the water, and 
the animal is capable of proceeding with some velocity by swimming; still, 
however the active enemy keeps it in view, and drives it again from the 
deep; till at length, the poor little creature is seen to dart to shorter dis- 
tances, to flutter with greater effort, and to drop down at last into the mouth 
of its fierce pursuer. But not the dorado alone—all animated nature seems 
combined against this little fish, which seems ‘possessed of double powers, 
only to be subject to greater dangers; for, though it should escape from its 
1 Exocetusevolans,Birocx. The genus Eocetus has the head covered with scales; ten 
rays in the bronchial membrane; eyes large ; jaws furnished with small pointed teeth 
and the pharyngeal bones with flat ones ; pectoral fins as tong as the body. 
93 62* 
