OB, PLAIN TEACHING. 



85 



and spring into the air, hundreds 

 of them together, where they are 

 sustained for a short time by 

 their large pectoral fins, 2, which 

 act as a kind of kite or para- 

 chute. From this peculiarity 

 they are called " flying fishes 

 there are two species known, 119. 



The bat chaetodon (Platax 

 vespertilio), 7, presents a very 

 eingular figure, and a remarkable 

 contrast with the last example. 

 "We notice the insignificant size 



disposed in spots, but mostly in 

 stripes or bands, 13. In contrast 

 with the bat chaetodon, we present 

 another member of the same 

 family, the wandering chaetodon 

 (Chaetodon vagabundus), 13. 

 Here we see that the first dorsal, 

 14, is divided into thirteen small 



347. y 



of the pectoral fin, 8, which, in 

 the flying gurnard, 1, was of such 

 large dimensions. We see the 

 enormous size of the dorsal and 

 anal fins, 9, 10, the length of the 

 ventral fin, 11, and contrast them 

 with the corresponding parts of 

 the gurnard. We observe, too, 

 the remarkable contrast in the 

 shapes of the two bodies, but 

 notice a resemblance in the large 

 eyes, and abrupt heads, 6, 12. 



The Chaetodons are a beauti- 

 fully-coloured family, their tints 

 being black and yellow, combined 

 with metallic green, sometimes 



348. 



but well-defined spinous rays ; 

 while the second dorsal, 15, dis- 

 plays no such divisions, and is ex- 

 panded into a thin, delicate mem- 

 brane. The caudal fin, or tail, 

 16, assumes a fan-like form, and 

 is marked by stripes of black 

 across a yellow skin. The anal 

 fin, 17, is divided into two small 

 and one large spinous processes, 

 and here there are stripes or 

 fringes of yellow upon a black 

 ground. The scales are larger 

 than in the former examples, and 

 instead of a blunt head, as 6, 12, 

 we have here a sharp, projecting 

 snout, 18. The body is marked 

 by oblique, dark bands. We find 

 a resemblance only in the eyes — a 

 contrast in nearly all the other 

 features, of these three examples. 

 To this family belongs the John 

 Dory, with which we are familiar, 

 and the name of which is derived 

 from the French doree, or jaune 



