12 
INCIDENTS OF THE VOYAGE. 
rose on each side, flitting but a yard or so, and often 
only ruffling the surface. They were in small shoals, 
each containing about a dozen Ashes. 
Nov, 29th, — I noticed a Flying-flsh curve its 
course so as to describe more than half a circle, 
Nov, SOth, — Before breakfast the motion of the 
ship disturbed multitudes of Flying-flshes of the blue- 
backed species, which flew in shoals every moment 
from each side of the bows. Many Bonitos pursuing 
them were likewise leaping from the surface ; at 
length a seaman from the martingale struck one of 
the latter with the grains, and secured it. It was a 
beautiful flsh, remarkably plump and hard ; the 
rainbow hues of its skin were most rich and lustrous, 
the pink predominating. Several black stripes run- 
ning along each side marked it as the Thynnus 
pelamys of Cuv. et Val. We ate it for dinner, and 
found the flesh pleasant, but rather dry. In its 
stomach were six of the Blue-backed Flying-fishes, 
partly digested. Some large oceanic birds were like- 
wise pursuing the little aeronauts, swooping down 
amidst the flitting shoals. As far as I remember, 
this is the only occasion in which the pursuit of the 
Exocoetus, by either winged or flnned enemies, has 
ever occurred to my observation ; I incline to think 
that it is much oftener described than seen. 
Here end my notes of the Flying-flsh ; except that 
long afterwards I saw two or three of the Blue-backed 
species skimming the surface of Bluefields Bay. 
Besides the fact, which these notes appear to me to 
prove, that the Exocoeti have the power of increasing, 
directing and terminating their progress while in the 
