646 Do Flying Fish Fly ? [ September, 
Aware that these fish are now generally regarded as skimmers 
rather than flyers, notwithstanding the testimony of very trust- 
worthy observers to the contrary, I determined to satisfy myself, 
if possible, on this one important point. 
I found the most favorable place for observation to be the bow 
of the steamer, and the best hours to be in the morning from five 
till eight or nine o’clock, and in the afternoon between three and 
six o'clock. Observations made when the air was quiet and the 
sea perfectly smooth, so that the fish could often be seen before 
they left the water, were the most satisfactory and conclusive. A 
stiff breeze, a billowy sea, a tossing ship and an easy chair are 
not conditions which facilitate accurate observation, and to such 
conditions, doubtless, is to be attributed the ill-success of many 
who have undertaken to decide this question. 
It has often been stated, especially by those who deny the 
wing-like motion of the fins, that flying fish are seldom seen 
above water when the air is still, and Burmeister even goes so far 
as to say .that “they fly oz/y when there .is considerable wind, 
since it is the wind which supports them.” 
That Burmeister “never saw a flying fish by still air,” proves 
only his misfortune, either in having no opportunity to see, or in 
not improving the opportunities which he did have. I have often 
seen great numbers of these fish when the air was almost motion- 
less—so still that not a ripple could be discerned on the glassy 
surface of the water—and it seemed to me that they were not 
much, if at all, less numerous on such occasions than when there 
was a moderate wind. 
Under the favorable conditions before mentioned, it is by n° 
means difficult to determine whether the fish executes any flap- 
ping movements with its pectoral fins. As I have seen them 
come out of the water directly under my eyes, I have been able 
to see distinctly the individual flaps of the large pectorals, while 
the ventrals were held in quiet expansion. The flapping move 
ment, which is quite regular and rapid—so rapid that it is va 
easily recognized at any great distance until experience has 
sharpened the eye—may be continued for the whole, or a part ot — 
the flight; but is generally discontinued after the first few rods, 
and the course completed by a pure skimming or sailing Move" 
ment. In some cases I have seen the flapping of the fins renewed 
once or twice after short intervals of the sailing movement. In 
