Nature and Art, November 1, 1866.] 
THE FLYING FISH. 
175 
to the open port-hole, in order to catch any breath of air that 
might arise, when an adventurous Flying’ Fish alig'hted upon 
her bosom. This piscatory intrusion was the cause of the 
screams we heard. The lady’s knowledge of natural history, 
or perhaps her belief in its laws not having extended to this 
very remarkable marine phenomenon, all the answer she 
could be induced to give to her husband’s explanations and 
endearments, was the repeated assertion, ‘ Auch, mon, it’s 
the deil.’ ” 
Although the life of our fluttering, silvery little 
friend looks, at the first glance, so much like a 
“merry-go-round” of joy, it is, in fact, very far 
from being so. Nemesis, in the form of the bonita, 
the dolphin, or some other scaly enemy, is rarely 
far behind, dividing the spray like arrows. Now 
in sight, with striped back and upraised fins, darting 
eagerly onward in the chase ; now lost to view 
beneath the waves, and anon, with sheen of gold, 
crossing and re-crossing like hounds on the track 
of game ; whilst greedy sea-fowl wheel on swift 
pinions, ready for a swoop at the silvery victims 
below. Mr. Forbes, that close observer of nature, 
and faithful recorder of things Oriental, makes the 
following rein ark in his memoirs : — 
“ In the Hindoo metempsychosis, where the bodies of the 
dove, the bee, the ant, and other favourite animals, are 
assigned as the temporary abode of tender, affectionate, and 
tranquil spirits, and lions, tigers, and hyenas for those of a 
ferocious disposition, the body of the Flying Fish would be 
a fit receptacle for the malicious, envious souls, who, like 
the arch fiend they imitate, are continually going about 
seeking whom they may devour.” 
It is strange that, with so many enemies always 
on the alert, Flying Fish should be so numerous ; 
and it is a question well worthy of the trouble 
of solution, whether the spawn bears with it the 
natural protection which has been attributed to it. 
Plunder in his MSS. says that the ova of the 
Flying Fish is so intensely acrid that not the 
smallest quantity of them can be swallowed, for 
they immediately burn off the skin from the tongue 
and palate. It would be well worth while to 
examine on the spot at the Antilles (for Plunder 
does not distinguish the species producing this 
ova), whether the flesh be not equally caustic ; and 
whether this quality arises from the peculiar cha- 
racter of food made use of, or is bestowed by nature 
for the preservation of the spawn, in order to secure 
their propagation. When the bonitas and albacores 
are in hot pursuit of their prey, man, in his turn, 
often makes prey of them. These beautiful fish 
are at times taken of considerable size ; they some- 
what resemble gigantic mackerel, and belong to the 
same family (Scomberidee). Instances are recorded 
of then' being captured on our own coasts. Some 
season or two since, when scrambling about, speci- 
men hunting, on the coast of Cornwall, we discovered 
a remarkably fine specimen of the bonita, lying 
dead amongst the tangled weed in one of those 
sandy, pebbly pools in which cunning old crabs, 
limpets of adhesive habits, and anthozoa of rainbow 
hue, delight to dwell. Few well-authenticated 
instances, however, are recorded of their taking a 
bait. In the warm seas of the south, and under a 
tropical sky, they are not only abundant, but take 
a bait such as we have figured at fig. 1 voraciously, 
following, like the dolphins, the shoals of Flying 
Fish, which are also immensely numerous within 
and on the borders of the Tropics, with unceasing 
pertinacity. For the table, neither the bonita nor 
albacore is particularly good, being to our taste 
rather dry. The bones, too, however necessary 
in an anatomical, point of view, are inconvenient, 
to say the least of them, when their number, 
sharpness, and length have to be studied at the 
breakfast or dinner table. Still, either the one or 
the other forms an agreeable change in the ordinary 
role of cabin fare. The Flying Fish, on the other 
hand, are as good as they are beautiful ; and the 
great ground for complaint regarding them is, that 
their visits are not more general and frequent. 
Nicely fried, after the manner of smelts, they form 
a feast an alderman might envy. 
When the bonitas and albacores are darting hither 
and thither in pursuit of their flying prey, the best 
opportunity will be afforded for capturing some of 
these hunters of the sea ; and thus do we proceed. 
A bait, as drawn in the accompanying woodcut, first 
described by us in our work “ Sea Fish and howto 
Catch them,” should be prepared. Its mode of con- 
struction is simple in the extreme, and many of the 
materials are easy of obtainment even on board ship. 
Still, a few hooks of different sizes, large swivels, and 
strong fishing-lines, should form a portion of every 
traveller’s sea-kit, as they at all times minister to 
amusement, and are occasionally of the greatest 
value. 
First, then, procure a piece of oak or other 
strong grained wood, of about from five to six 
inches long ; taper it from head to tail like a 
small fish, exit a deep longitudinal groove both 
above and below, from end to end, leaving a notch 
at each extremity ( vide fig. 1). Then twist a 
