OCEANIC FLYINQ-FISH. 145 



deepening into purplish brown on the back : the 

 pectoral fins are dusky, the dorsal and anal yellow- 

 ish, and the ventral fins and tail reddish. It is a 

 native of the American and Indian seas, but is 

 occasionally observed, like the former, in the Medi- 

 terranean. Mr. Pennant records an instance of its 

 being seen about the British coasts. 



Dr. Bloch quotes, from Plumier, a very remark- 

 able circumstance relative to the Flying-Fish : viz. 

 that the spawn is of a quality so highly acrimoni- 

 ous, that the smallest particle cannot be tasted with- 

 out an immediate partial excoriation of the tongue 

 and palate. It is not certain however, from the 

 account of Plumier to which particular species this 

 acrimonious spawn belongs. 



The air-bladder in this, and doubtless in the rest 

 of the genus, is very large, and consequently well 

 calculated for occasionally diminishing the specific 

 gravity of the animal : there is also, according to 

 Bloch, a peculiar kind of membrane on the sides of 

 the mouth, which have the power, by their junction^ 

 of closing that part^ even though the jaws be open, 

 when air is blown into it through the aperture of 

 the gill-covers, and this he imagines may still 

 further contribute to the remarkable power of flight 

 possessed by this genus, which has often been con- 

 sidered, and especially by the celebrated Bonnet, 

 in his scale of Nature, as forming a kind of con- 

 necting link between Fishes and Birds, similar to 

 that which the Bats may be supposed to form be- 

 tween Birds and Quadrupeds. 



V. V. p. I. 10 



