Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1883-03-31
FLYING FISH.
Irrcn ST. Nicholas for April.l

Ifrofn ST. Nicholas for April.l
Iu the sea there are three flyers that
really, from the extent of the flights,
deserve the name. Those of our read
ers who have been at sea, especially in
the south, NAV have seen the common
flying fish, with its brilliant blue-and-
silver body and lace-like, sheeny wings.
From the crest of blue wave they dart
singly or in flocks, futtering along,
rising and falling, turning in curves,
and returning to the water with splash
perhaps to fall a victim to some
watchful bonito Cor dolphin) that has
been closely following them beneath
the water. These privateers of the sea
are their greatest enemies, as they rise
in the air following them under the
water, and emerging just in time to
catch the luckless flyers as they descend.
The dolphin will take great leaps of
twenty or thirty feet in following the
poor fying-fish, which, notwithstand-
ing their long wings and wonderful
powers, often fall victims to their tire
less pursuers. They frequently fly
aboard vessels at night,perhaps attract
ed by the lights, OF, 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,
| wing-like fins, presents otherwise
totally different appearance. Its head
is inclosed in p bony armor, from which
project two sharp spines. Some OF
these fish are of rich pink color, while
others are mottled with red, yellow,
yellow and blue, as they fly along over
| ho hn to Il,
their glittcring scales, they seem to
hard heads, it will not be surprising
information that they are disagreeable
fellows to come in contact with; at
least, SO thought q sailor who was
standing at dusk upon the quarterback
of vessel, near one of the West India
islands. Suddenly, he found himself
lying upon his bach, knocked over by d
monster gurnard that, with score of
others, had darted from the water, this
one striking the man fairly in the fore
head. The gurnards are also chased
by dolphins, and they are frequently
seen to rise in schools, to escape from
the larger fish, while lowering above
them are watchful gulls and man-of-
war birds, ready to steal them from the
jaws of their enemies Of the sea.
In company with these flying-fish
may often be seen curious white bodies,
with long arms and black eyes. They
are flying-squibs, members of the cuttle-
fish family, and the famous bait of the
Newfoundland cod-fshermen. On the
banks they are often seen in vast shoals,
and during storms tons of them are
thrown upon the shore. When dart
ing from wave to wave, they resemble
silvery arrows, often rising and board
ing ships In their headlong flight. SO
valuable are they for bait, that four OF
five hundred vessels at st. Pierre are
engaged in catching them by means OF
|jiggers.
! Many of the squid family leave the
water when pursued. Even the lar.
gest of them, often forty or fifty feet
long, have been seen to rise to ten OF
fifteen feet in the air, and sail away as
if propelled by some mysterious force
their hideous arms dripping and glis.
tening. They are certainly the largest
and strangest of the flyers without
wings.