PLIGHT OF FLYING-FISHES. 469 



sta-teil elsewhere (' Auiinal Flight,' Ilitte and Sons, 1914), the wing- 

 tips of vultures iu horizontal soaring flight show the terminal 

 quills bent up as though they were under the influence of a 

 steady force acting from below and behind. 



As the flsh is emerging from the water an interesting a})pe;ir- 

 ance may sometimes be see)i. The length of the trail (made by 

 lateral movement of the tail) is generally less tliau a metre and a 

 half. It may be only half a metre. At the end of the trail in 



Text-fisure 1. 



Flying-fisli starting', showing trail of ripples made by movement of tail. 

 Wings up and tail down as in slow-speed flight. 



a few observations the fish appealed to make a sudden jump out 

 of the water, gaining height thereby to the extent of four or 

 five inches. Had this appearance of a jump been due to an extra 

 strong stroke by the tail, one would have expected to have seen 

 an extra large ripple in the water. Nothing of the kind wns 

 oliserved. On other occasions, when tlie jiunp was not seen and, 

 I l)elieve, did not occur, tlie trail was observed to get fainter 

 towards its end (text-fig. 1 ). 



