648 Do Flying Fish Fly ? [ September, 
tance of one to eight or more hundred feet, can be due to the im- 
petus gained by a single spring combined with the parachute-like 
action of the fins, seems to me, aside from the oft repeated testi- 
mony of my eyes, quite incredible. 
It is maintained, however, by Carl Mobius, professor in Kiel, in 
the article before mentioned, that the pectorals of the flying fish 
execute no flapping movement during flight; and this view is 
based not only on the author’s observation of the flight of many 
Exocceti and one Dactylopterus, but also on anatomical and 
physiological grounds, 
No one, so far as I know, has undertaken so elaborate a discus- 
sion of this question, and approached it from so many different 
standpoints as Prof. Mobius; and his conclusions will, on this very 
account, undoubtedly command the assent of many naturalists 
who have had no opportunity to settle the question for them- 
selves. It is not, therefore, surprising to find that Prof. Bar- 
deleben, in his review of this paper, in Hofman and Schwalbe’s 
“ Jahresberichte über die Fortschritte der Anatomie und Physiol- 
ogie” (Vol. vil, part 1, p. 129), appears to accept as conclusive 
the opinion so ably maintained by Prof- Mobius. Had I not seen 
many times, with my own eyes, under circumstances so favorable 
as to forbid all manner of doubt in my own mind, the flapping of 
these fins, I might have accepted the conclusions of the German 
naturalist and overlooked the assailable points of the arguments 
adduced in their support; but with the positive assurance that he 
is in error on the main question, I have been led to question the 
validity of some of his interpretations of facts. That I have 
fairly stated the position of this author in regard to the function 
of the pectoral fins of the flying fish, will appear evident from the 
following citations: 
“If during the entire flight the pectoral fins of flying fishes 
actually made motions similar to those of the wings of bats, 
birds and insects, one would able to perceive them quite aS 
well as the strokes’ of equally large wings of bats and birds — 
(p. 353). D 
This statement is open to the objection that it entirely ignores 
the fact that the color of the fins, the rapidity and sweep of their 
vibrations have a vast deal to do with the ‘question whether the 
fin-strokes would be as easily recognized as the wing-strokes wo 
the bird or bat. f 
“Flapping movements of the large shining pectorals would, 
