﻿NOTE ON THE OCCURRENCE OF A FLYING CRUSTACEAN IN 

 THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 



By Dean C. Worcester 

 (Manila, P. I.) 



While fishing along the base of a limestone cliff in Bacuit Bay, 

 Palawan, during the month of December, 1912, I saw close to 

 my launch what I at first mistook for a peculiarly formed flying 

 fish of some species which I had never previously observed. It 

 was translucent, rose from the water somewhat sharply, and 

 "flew" not more than two or three rods before dropping into 

 the water again. 



The more I pondered on what I had seen the more it seemed 

 to me that the creature could not be a fish. It had looked more 

 like a crayfish or shrimp, with one or two pairs of much flat- 

 tened legs directed forward and others curving backward, the 

 legs and the lobes of the tail making the supporting planes. 



On the evening of August 15, 1913, when trolling off the edge 

 of the shoal extending in a southeasterly direction from East 

 Island near the coast of Palawan, I again saw the same sort of 

 a creature, and this time there was no mistaking it. It rose 

 close to the boat, mounted into the air rapidly, then held a level 

 course for a short distance, and dropped suddenly into the water 

 again. It was unquestionably a very transparent crustacean, 

 from 15 to 20 centimeters in length. 



On the morning of August 17, when trolling off the shoal on 

 the north side of Lumbucan Island, I saw a third specimen, and 

 later in Malampaya Sound I saw a fourth. At this place Mr. 

 W. Schultze, of the Bureau of Science, also saw one, and there 

 remains no doubt of the existence in the Philippines of a marine 

 crustacean, from 15 to 25 centimeters in length, which has the 

 power of rising rapidly from the water and "flying," after 

 the fashion of a flying fish, for several rods. 



The specimens observed by me invariably rose against the 

 wind. 



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