No. 4691 



FLYING-FISH FLIGHT 



9 



size of the fish would merely check its speed as a hollow hnllct is 

 checked. 



Steering-power is also denied to the fish hy most naturalists. 

 It is, nevertheless, a inatK-r of (•.•miiioii ^-afariii- knouled-e that 

 they turn with deliherate intention. 1 have nivM^H' watc-hed ,,ne 



tion straight away from tlH> ship. It approached within a yard 

 or so of the side, close under where 1 was stan(hni:. The check 

 of speed on its lirst taking ahinn was niarke.i, and (hiring \\\v turn 

 of half a circle of about 10 or 12 feet radius which it made it could 

 not have been flying at a rate of more than three or four miles an 



Again, they rise (|uitc at will, though this power also is deiu'ed 

 by aeroplanists. With reference to this, as well as to their power 

 of steering, the late l-:arl of IN'inl )rok(>, or l)(.ctor (i. II. King>iey, 

 joint authors of Soiilli-Std Jliihhlis, says p. lU. 7ih ed.. IMi.")): 

 " Flying-fidi <ln fly, niov in- ih<Mr p<-< t<.ral lin. u iili .Atrenie rapi.litN . 

 moreoxer. the> rai^' anJ louer thcniMT.- over tlie l<,p. of the 



and Rapa I use.l to' >.■.- the cabin', bull-,' .we. surrounded i)V a 

 circle of scales every morninu' left there i>y tlyin---lidi." They 

 were making for tlit- tin-ht. No inuvnuity can fa-ten this upon 



sible feats on behalf of these fish. This habit of theirs is quite 

 well known, and is effected by raising themselves and steering, 

 pure and simple. 



Their taking a baited hook is also denied. As a matter of fact, 

 a baited hook is the first part of the fishing-process of the Barbados 

 flying-fishing fleet, with which I have been out. We had a blank 

 day; but, according to the animated description of the boatmen, 

 the struggles of the first victim bring round it swarms of sympa- 

 thizers (as gulls flock round a wounded companion), and these are 

 "raked" into the boat by the hand hoop-net, an enlarged edition of 

 a round shallow shrimp-net without any handle. 



I have throughout this paper spoken of flying-fish generally, 

 for the wing-areas of all of the known kinds are to their weights 

 and speeds such that the impossibility of their practical use as 

 aeroplanes differs only in degree. 



