. Evolution and animal life; an elementary discussion of facts, processes, laws and theories relating to the life and evolution of animals . FIG. 195.—Torpedo or electric ray,Narcine brasiliensis, showing elec-tric cells. ADAPTATIONS 335 the stinging tentacles of the Portuguese man-of-war or underordinary jellyfishes. Some fishes called the flying fishes sail through the air witha grasshopperlike motion that closely imitates true long pectoral fins, wingiike in form, cannot, however, beflapped by the fish, the muscles serving only to expand or foldthem. These fishes live in the open
. Evolution and animal life; an elementary discussion of facts, processes, laws and theories relating to the life and evolution of animals . FIG. 195.—Torpedo or electric ray,Narcine brasiliensis, showing elec-tric cells. ADAPTATIONS 335 the stinging tentacles of the Portuguese man-of-war or underordinary jellyfishes. Some fishes called the flying fishes sail through the air witha grasshopperlike motion that closely imitates true long pectoral fins, wingiike in form, cannot, however, beflapped by the fish, the muscles serving only to expand or foldthem. These fishes live in the open sea or open channels,swimming in large schools. The small species fly for a few. FIG. 196.—Flying fishes: The upper one. a species of Cypselurus; the lower, ofExocoetus. These fishes escape from their enemies by leaping into the airand sailing or flying long distances. feet only, the large ones for more than an eighth of a may rise five to twenty feet above the water. The flight of one of the largest flying fishes (Cypselurus cali-fornicus) has been carefully studied by Dr. Charles H. Gilbertand the senior author. The movements of the fish in the waterare extremely rapid. The sole motive power is the actionunder the water of the strong tail. Xo force can be acquiredwhile the fish is in the air. On rising from the water the move-ments of the tail are continuous until the whole body is out ofthe water. When the tail is in motion the pectorals seem ina state of rapid vibration. This is not produced by muscularaction on the fins themselves. It is the body of the fish whichvibrates, the pectorals projecting farthest having the greatestamplitude of movement
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