. The American natural history : a foundation of useful knowledge of the higher animals of North America . Natural history. CHAPTER XLVIII THE ORDER OF FLYING-FISHES S YNENTO GNA Till The Common Flying-Fish1 is as necessary to a perfect ocean voyage as a whale and a school of " ; Suddenly and unexpectedly it breaks out of the side of a wave, and with a trem- ulous flutter of wing-like pectoral fins,âthat from the ship's forecastle seem to be ultramarine blue,âit feebly guides its course away from the disturbing mountain of throbbing steel. The flight of a Flying-Fish is usua
. The American natural history : a foundation of useful knowledge of the higher animals of North America . Natural history. CHAPTER XLVIII THE ORDER OF FLYING-FISHES S YNENTO GNA Till The Common Flying-Fish1 is as necessary to a perfect ocean voyage as a whale and a school of " ; Suddenly and unexpectedly it breaks out of the side of a wave, and with a trem- ulous flutter of wing-like pectoral fins,âthat from the ship's forecastle seem to be ultramarine blue,âit feebly guides its course away from the disturbing mountain of throbbing steel. The flight of a Flying-Fish is usually from four to six in schools so near to the island of Barbadoes that the fishermen capture it in great quantities, for the markets. It is not unusual to see 2,000 in the market at one time. I have heard much of the pursuit of the Flying-Fish by the "dolphin" (Coryplnnia hippurus), but have seen nothing of it. The Flying Gurnard or Sea Robin (Dac-ty- lop'ter-us vol'i-tans), is a wonderful pink fish, 8. â¢:-"- ' ::'; â Drawn by J. Carter Beard. THE COMMON FLYING-FISH. feet above the water, and is sustained for from 50 to 100 feet. The greatly enlarged pectoral fins act as wings, and furnish the motive power. Someone has raised the question, "Does a Flying-Fish move its wings in flight? " Of course it does. On all up grades it gives a stiff wing- stroke about every three feet, rises to over- top each advancing wave, and drops as the wave rolls on, like a stormy petrel. This is distinctly a mid-ocean fish, but it swims 1 Ex-o-cae'tus vol'i-tans. inches long, that is found from Cape Cod to Brazil. It is often picked up on the sea-shore near pound- nets, because fishermen throw it away as un- marketable; but as fish become more scarce, it will be eaten. Its pectoral fins are of enormous size, but useless for flight. This fish is not closely related to the flying-fish, but belongs in the Order of Spiny-Finned Fishes. It is the only representative of it
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