The Leaping Tuna 83 
tuna is accomplished as a result of the attempts 
of the fish to seize its prey, the flying-fish, in the 
air, and is made almost directly upward at the flier, 
which is a foot or more above the surface. Asa 
rule, the mark is missed, and the living arrow darts 
upward six, eight, ten feet at rare intervals, then 
turns with the perfection of grace and plunges 
headlong into the sea. It is manifestly impossi- 
ble to measure such a leap, yet on one occasion 
I thought that I saw nearly fifteen feet attained, 
though I may have been mistaken, and freely 
confess to the excitement so often an aid to the 
imagination. At the time the observation was 
made I was drifting in the largest school of tunas 
I had seen. I had noticed the school sweeping 
up the coast of the island, the channel covered 
with whitecaps for acres, caused by the rushing, 
leaping fish, and had rowed out in a light skiff to 
meet it. Tunas were in the air on all sides; 
others rushing along the surface, while the flying- 
fishes soared in all directions in such numbers 
that I watched them carefully to avoid the 
winged projectiles. Looking down I could see 
numbers so terrified that they swam close to the 
keel to elude the savage tunas. The latter were 
leaping and plunging about me, and I realized 
