The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-03-31
St. George and the Dragon !

c. F. Holder, IA, st. Nicholas for april
In many old natural histories -especi-
ally those of Aldrovandus and Gesner,-
strange pictures are shown of dragons,
with terrible heads, breath like steam, the
feet and legs of bird, and serpent-like
skins. In the days of chivalry these drag
ons were very common, if we may believe
the tales of the time, and every knight or
gentleman with any pretensions to valor
seems to have followed in the footsteps of
ST. George, according to the romancers.
But, in these days, the world has been so
well Travelled over that the dragons have
been finally sifted down to one or two
beautiful little creatures that live in India
and the islands of the Indian Archipelago.
Save for their harmless aspect, they have
very much the appearance of the dragons
of the olden time, and we suspect they
were the originals of the tales that were
certainly believed by the natural-history
writers ofpast centuries. The dragons are
small lizards that live among the trees, and
though they hare no wings, they move
about through the air in graceful curves,
with almost the freedom of birds. When
they are upon a branch, you would
hardly notice anything peculiar about
them; but, let an insect pass by that they
are particularly fond of, and, with rush,
several of them fly into the air. Between
their legs is curious membrane, encirc-
ling them like a parachute, banded and
crossed with gorgeous tints of red and yel-
low, which glisten In the sun like molten
gold. They seem to float in the air a
second while swapping at the object Of their
pursuit then they sink gracefully, alight-
inc upon the trees or branches. The
seeming wings are membrances-really an
expansion of the skin of the flank, held in
place by slender, bony processes connected
with the false ribs, which shut up. az it
were, when the "dragOn" is resting, the
wings appearing to be folded at the sides.
They live upon insects, and dart after them
from tree to tree with amazing rapidity,
their long tails lashing the air like knives.
According to the naturalist Rrontius,
the common flying lizard initiates curious
yellow goitre, or membrane, when it flies,
thus rendering it lighter, and reminding us
again of the birds, with their hollow
bones, Thus assisted, they cross intervals
of space as much as seven hundred feet in
length faster than the eye can follow them.
In darting across small streams, some
times they fall short and come down in the
water, when, of course, they are obliged to
swim the remainder of the distance.
Sometimes they are found in large streams,
so it is not improbable that they go in
swimming for the pleasure of it.
FLYING FISH,
In the sea there are three flyers that
really, from the extent of their flights,
deserve the name. Those of our readers
who have been at sea, especially in the
South, may 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
focks, futtering along, rising and falling,
turning in curves, and returning to the
water with splasE-perhaps to fall a
victim to some watchful bonito Cor dolphin
that has been closely following them be-
meath the water. These privateers of the
sea are their greatest enemies, as they rise
in the air following them under water, and
emerging Just in time to catch the luckless
flyers as they descend The dolphins will
take great leaps of twenty or thirty feet i'll
following the poor fying-fsh, which, not
withstanding their long wings and wonder
full powers, often fall victims to their tire
less pursuers. They frequently fly aboard
vessels at night, perhaps attracted by the
lights, or, it may be, caught up by the
wiud from the crest of some curling wave,
and carried high in air against the sails.
The gurnard, through it has also long,
wing-like fins, presents otherwise totally
different appearance. Its head is inclOsed
in bony armor, from which project two
sharp spines. Some of these fish are of a
rich pink color, while others are mottled
with red yellow, and blue, and as they fly
along oyer the water, and the sunlight falls
upon their glittering scales, they seem to
glow with golden luster. With such hard
heads, it will not be surprising information
that they are disagreeable fellows to come
in contact with; at least, so thought sailor
who was standingat dusk upon the quarter
deck of vessel, near one of the West In
dia islands. Suddenly, he found himself
living upon his back, knocked over by
monster gurnard that, with score of 9TH
ers had darted from the water, this one
striking the man fairly in the forehead.
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 fying-fsh may
often be seen curious white bodies, with
long arms and black eyes, They are fly
ing-squids, members of the cuttle-fsh fam
ily, and the famous bait of the Newfound-
land cod-fshermen. On the Banks they
are often seen in vast shoals, and during
storms tons of them are thrown upon the
shore. When darting from wave to wave,
they resemble silvery arrows, often rising
and boarding ships in their headlong fight.
So valuable are they for bait, that four or
five hundred vessels at St. Pierre are en-
gagged in catching them by means of jiggers.
Many of the squid family leave the water
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 is propelled by some mys-
terious force, their hideous arms dripping
and glistening. They are certainly the
largest and strongest of the flyers without
wings.
THE COLUGO.
In the forests of the islands constituting
the Indian Archipelago is found curious
flying animal that forms the connecting link
between the lemur and the bat The ma.
tives call it the colugo, and also the "fying-
fox" but it is more like fying-monkey
as the lemurs are cousins of the monkeys
Like the bats, these animals sleep in the
daytime, hanging from the limbs and
branches of trees, head downward; but as