3932 Journal of a Voyage 



caudal respiratory lamellae were in perpetual motion. I also fished 

 up in a bucket of water a luminous amphipodous Crustacean. 



March 14: (lat. 17 13; long. 41 35). Flying fish numerous. I 

 ascertained, by frequent observations, that these animals can make 

 one turn, right or left, whilst flying, using their tail to direct their 

 course, much in the same manner as a bird does, or like the rudder 

 of a ship. 



March 17 : (lat. 12 55 ; long. 42 30). Caught a small Physalisa, 

 which appears distinct from the common species: its size is five times 

 less ; the smaller tentacula are of a clear yellow colour ; and a thin, 

 membranous, wing-like dorsal fin occupies the upper part of the swim- 

 ming-bladder. 1 also collected a beautiful sky-blue Medusa. 



March 18 : (lat. 12 56 ; long. 42 11). Thousands of small globu- 

 lar gelatinous masses (Medusae ?) are floating at different depths in 

 the clear and calm water, following the direction of the great ocean- 

 current. They are so delicate that I find it impossible to take them 

 in my net without destroying them. 



March 22 : (lat. 12 48 ; long. 49 53). A petrel hovered over the 

 ship this evening at dusk ; it looked like a large bat, so fantastical 

 and noiseless were its evolutions. Flying fish of the two species have 

 been numerous all day. 



March 26 : (lat. 13 ; long 50 28). This evening a noddy {Sterna 

 stolida) came on board, and was caught by the hand. This bird is 

 well known to all navigators on account of its stupidity, i. e., its fear- 

 lessness of man. We passed in sight of the island of Barbadoes today. 



March 27: (lat. 12; long. 61 44). After passing the island of 

 Carriacou and some of the Grenadines, we sailed along the eastern side 

 of the most beautiful island of New Granada. Between the vessel 

 and the coast a flock of at least a hundred small dolphins were fro- 

 licking. They were following each other in Indian file, jumping out 

 of the water fifteen to twenty at a time, exhibiting their white and 

 shining bellies : none came near the ship. Two or three larger whales 

 were slowly swimming in a small bay, loudly spouting up water ever 

 and anon to a considerable height. From the deck, this seemed to 

 disperse into the air, just like a jet of steam allowed to escape from 

 the valve of an engine-boiler. Divers birds, among which the most 

 remarkable to a stranger's eye was Phaeton aethereus, visited our 

 vessel. 



March 28: (lat. 11 37; long. 63 34). A few birds flying in the 

 distance, and some jets of steam thrown up by a whale, are the only 

 signs of life I can discern this morning. In the evening we are just 



