and the high§st point of their trajectory at four feet. Ault (Geographic 

 Hagaziue, (Dec. 1922, p. 642) agrees with Gifford in believing"mt~sowe 

 of these fish are able to continue flight, changing direction and going much 

 farther than momentum alone could carry them. He claims that the vibrations 

 of the wing-fins have been seen frequently by several observers. 



Another authority is Dr. Hankin, who is of opinion (Nature, Aug»18, 

 1921) that although at the beginning of their glide they may - flap their large 

 triangular pectorals a few times and though they vary the position and planes 

 of part or the whole of their transport fins, as the soaring hawk curls and 

 arranges his wings to take advantage of a favoring vtind or air current, yet 

 it is the propulsion out of the water and the succeeding glide that consti- 

 tute the soicalled flight of the flying-fish, they do not fly as birds do. 

 The mechanism of this locomotion has, as every naturalist knows, been discussed 

 innumerable times in literature like its analogous process the soaring of the 

 hawk or vulture. 



In Barbados I had an opportunity of seeing the fisherboys catch the variety 

 that abounds on that island coast. They are a dark-backed, trout-like species 

 about 10 inches in length; their pectorals attached to the bodies like the 

 gossamer wings of hugh dragoh-f lies , They also gave one the impression of a 

 folded fan with little rudder-like accessories. I saw how these fish are 

 caught in that particular part of the island. They are first attracted by 

 pieces of meat — often distinctly odorous - enclosed in a wicker container 

 which is "jiggled" up and down in the water from the stern of the fishermanis 

 boat- The fish thus enticed are landed by means of a dip or other net. 



Captain John Bo lions," Master of the Govt. S. S, "Tutanaki," and a natural- 

 ist of local repute, told me that during, his thirty years of service in the 

 South Pacific he had made a considerable study of flying fishes, and that he 

 had often seen the large Flying Fish ( Cypselurus m ela nqcerous ) rise as much as 

 six feet clear of the water and without again touching it volplane ( the Cap- 

 tain would not say "fly") a quarter of a mile. 0 n ^any occasions he had 

 observed them "bank" and vary their direction as often as three times on 

 each occasion and as much as SO-40 degrees during the flight. 



An officer of the mercantile marine, whose powers of observation I re- 

 gard as worthy of consideration, tells me that he has often caught one of 

 the Pacific Flying Fishes on board his ship, and that they can fly to a. deck 

 even to ten feet from the 'water level. They usually "fly" on board at night, 

 and he thinks they are attracted by the lights of the vessel. In proof of 

 the latter statement he points to the method of catching them in Polynesia, 

 by means of the flare on a canoe and a dip net. But why does the light attract 

 the fish? Quien sabe ? 



Having quoted some recent literature on this apparently obscure sub- 

 ject, suppose we listen to what Adriaan van Beckel has to_say about it. He 

 sailed to South America from Holland nearly 250 years ago, and in his "American 

 Voyages" tells many interesting stories about the flora and fauna he studied 

 in his travels. Recently, my friend, Dr» Walter Roth, of Chr istianburg, Bri- 

 tish Cuiana, an author well-known to students of Indian folklore, translated 

 this charming Dutch work, and the following quotation is from his original 

 manuscript, which he was good enough to present to the writer. "As regards 



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