The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-04-21
Elying-Fisl,.

in the sea there are three flyers that
really, from the extent Of their flights.
deserve the name. Those of our readers
VINO have been at sea, especially in the
South, may have seen the common fly-
lng-tish, with it's brilliant blue-and- -sil.
yer body and lace-like, sheeny wings.
! From the crest Of a blue wave they dart.
singly or IN flocks, fluttering along, ris,,
ing and falling, turning in curves. and
returning to the water with splash.
perhaps to fall q victim to some watch
ful bonito Tor dolphm) that has been
closely following them beneath the water.
These privateers Of the sea are their grea-
test enemies, as they rise In the air fol-
lowing them under water, and emerging
just III time to catchAthe luckless fiyerS
as they descend. Tile sdolphins viii
take great leaps Of twenty or thirty feet
in following the poor flying-fish, which,
Notwithstanding their long wings and
wonderful powers, often fall victims to
their tireless pursuers. They frequently
fly aboard vessels at night, perhaps at
tracted by the lights, or, it may be,
caught up by the wind from the crest
OF some curling wave, and carried high
in air against the sails.
The gurnard, though it has also long.
wng-llke fins, presents otherwise to-
tally different appearance. It's head is
lnclosed i'll bony armor, from which
project two sharp spines Some of these
fish are OF rich pink color, while others
are notified with red, yellow, and blue,
ana as they tiy along over the water,
and the sunlight falls upon their glitter
ing scales, they seem to glow with a gol-
den luster. With such hard heads. il
will not be surprising information that
they are uiSagreeable fellows to come in
contact with; at least, 50 thought q sal
lor who was standing ut dusk up0n the
quarterback of q vessel, near one of the
West India islands. Suddenly, he found
himself lying upon his back, knocked
over by monster gurnard that, with a
score of others, had darted from the
water, this one striking the man fairly
in the forehead. The gurnartls are also
chased by dolphins, and they are fire.
quently seen to rise in schools, to escape
from the larger fish, while hoverinq
above them are watchful gulls and man
of-war birds, ready to steal then from
the jaws Of their enemies of the sea.
In company with these flying fish NAV
often be seen curious white bodies, with
long arms and black eyes. They are
1iying-squids, members of the cuttle-fish
family, and the famous bait Of the New
tolmdland cod-tishernlen. On the Banks
they are often. seen in vast shoals, and
during storms tons Of them are thrown
upon the shore. Whena darting. from
wave to- waYe,l they resemble silyery
arrows, az often a rising anil boarding ships
are they for bait, that four or five niin-
dred vessels at st. Pierre are engaged in
catching them by means of jiggers.
Many of the squid family leave the wa
ter when pursued. Even the largest of
them, often forty or fifty feet long, have
been seen to rise ten or fifteen feet in
the air, and sail away as if propelled by
some mysterious force, their hideous
arms dripping and glistening. They
are certainly the largest and strangest
of the flyers without wings.