THE LIVING WORLD. 
69 
wonderful design. The body is slender, the bones very light and hollow, like 
those of birds, and all the fins abnormally developed. The pectorals, however, 
are of a length 
almost equal to 
that of the entire 
body, and have a 
very great spread, 
the web being of 
a very thin mem¬ 
brane, set on 
slightly-curved 
ribs, so that when 
expanded they 
assume the shape 
of an inverted 
dish, and thus act 
the part of a para¬ 
chute. The caudal 
fin is especially of 
great muscular 
strength, the un¬ 
der segment being much longer than the 
other, by whifch the fish is able to rise with 
an immense impulse from the waves. The 
propulsion thus given is maintained for several 
minutes by a vigorous sculling movement of 
the tail, the parachute serving to keep the creature suspended until it drops 
lightly to the surface, when a beat of the tail imparts a fresh impetus, and it 
goes forward with increased speed again. 
The length of the flight may be, a thou¬ 
sand feet, but is usually less than half 
that distance. There are probably a score 
of species that can rise from the water in 
this wise, all of which are small in size, 
the largest not exceeding eighteen inches 
in length. They are most unfortunate 
creatures in that they are remorselessly 
pursued in the sea by coryphenes and 
dolphins, while if they rise into the air 
they have no more merciful enemies in 
several species of sea birds, such as the great gull, frigate bird and sea hawk. 
Flying Gunard. This is a species very common along the Atlantic coast, 
but they are so interesting that the naturalist can never tire watching their 
curious forms and singular habits, for this is one of the few fishes which can 
walk, fly or swim. The pectorals, as in other flying fishes, are abnormally 
developed, and preserve an identical shape. Below the ventrals are six 
spinous legs, or what may be so called, that are not jointed, but curved so that the 
points are downward. Upon these the fish creeps along the sea bottom with its 
head close to the mud searching for prey. The species found along the Atlantic 
swallow fish (Exoccetus volitans.) 
