‘Book X. Yiand of BARBADOS. 
Go 
‘The Fryinc-F isu. 
! i NHIS Fith is prepofteroufly deferibed by moft Pavia often 
A take more Pleafure in fetting Men a ftaring at Reprefentations 
in themfelves incredible, than in candidly and horeftly relating fuch 
Matters of Fa, as come within the Sphere of their Knowledge. 
Thus, when this Fifth is-made the furprizing Topic of Wonder, as 
the Generality of Mankind. know no other Method of flying but with 
Wings, they are immediately induced to believe, that this Pith hath, 
according to the real Acceptation of the Word, Wings to fly with ; 
whereas what are fo called, are only Fins common in their Make with 
the Fins of feveral other F ith, differing only in Bignefs, which in Pro- 
portion to the Size of this Fifh, are indeed far larger than any other, 
the Flying-Gar-Fifh excepted. This, that we are now defcribing, is 
not, at its utmoft Growth, more than Nine Inches long, flattifh ‘on the 
Back, and growing broader towards the Head ; the Back and Head are 
of a dark Blue, and whitifh under the Belly ; they have two large Fins, 
fituated po/? Bronchia; thefe in a full-gtown Fith’ are fix Inches long ; 
and each in Breadth at their greateft Expanfion, about three Inches: 
When purfued by a Dolphin, as their Swiftnefs in fwimming is far in- 
ferior to that Filh, to avoid him they give a Spring out of the Water, 
and immediately (if I may be allowed the Expreffion) unfurl or expand 
their Fins, not with a tremulous, but a fteady; quick, gliding Motion ; 
which they do with great Swiftnefs; but, if the Day be hot, or the 
Weather fultry, their Flight is fhort; for, as foon as the Heat of the 
Sun dries up the Moifture upon their Fins, which made tliem pliable, 
they muft dip into the Water to receive a frefh Supply. By the beft 
Guels that I could make; I never perceived any of them to fly above 
feventy or eighty Yards, tho’ oftener but forty or fifty at a Time. 
Their Increafe is prodigioufly great; otherwife the whole Species muft 
have long ago beet deftroyed3 for they are a Prey to Men, Fifh, and 
Birds; having no certain Tenure of Life, either in Air or Water: 
for, when purfued by Dolphins, or other voracious Fith, if, to avoid 
thefe, they feek Refuge in the Air, a Bird called the Cobler, among a 
great many others; darts with the Swiftnefs of an Eagle to deftroy 
them. I cannot help obferving here, that there is fomething very pe- 
culiar in the Make of the Wings of this Bird; for, as it fecks its Prey 
ata great Diftance from Land, and being obliged to be long upon the 
Wing, often at the Diftance of a hundred Miles off, to be able 
therefore to endure fo great a Flight; the Wings aré not only large in 
Pioportion to the Body, the better to enable them to bear its Weight ; 
but the Tip-end alfo of the Pinion, inftead of having one, the common 
Make of moft Birds Wings, it hath two ftrong Bones; by which mean 
the Vibration of the Wings is ftronger and more {teady. a 
Hhhh The 
uae 
