The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-05-05
Flying-Fish.

In the sea there ere three flyers that
really, from the extent CT their flights. de
| serve the name. Those of our readers who
| have been at sea, especially in the South,
may have seen the common tlying-f fish,
with its blue-and-silver body and lace
like, sheeny wings From the crest OF
a blue wave they dart, singly or in fiocks,
| fiuttering along, rising and falling, turn
ing in curves, and returning to the water
with a splash 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 feetin following the poor
| tying-tish, which, Notwithstanding their
| long wings and wonderful powers, often
| fall victims to their tireless pursuers
| They frequently fly aboard vessels at
| night, perhaps attracted 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,
wIng-like fans, presents otherwise total
~ different appearance. Its head is in
closed in a bony armor, from which
| project two sharp spines. Some of these
| fish are of a rich pink color, while others
| are notified with red, yellow, and blue.
| and as they fly along over the water,
and the sunlight falls upon their glitter
ing scales, they seem to glow with a
golden luster. With such hard heads.
1t Will not be surprising information
that they are disagreeable fellows to
come in contactw with; at least, so thought
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 back,
Knocked over by a monster gurnard that,
with a score of others. had darted from
the water, this one striking the man fair
ly in the forehead. The gurnards are
also chased by dolphins, and they are
frequently seen to rise in schools, to es-
cape from the larger fish, while hover
ing above them are watchfui gulls and
man-of-war birds, ready to steal them
from the jaws of their enemies of the sea.
In company with these fiying-fish NAV
often be seen curious white bodies, with
long arms and black eyes. They are
fylng-squids, members of the cuttle-fis
family, and the famous bait of the New
foundland cod-fishermen. 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 ar
rows, often rising and boarding Ships
in their headlong flight. So valuable
are they for bait, that four or five hun
dred vessels at ST. Pierre are engaged in
catching them by means of iiggers.
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 if propelled
by some mysterious force, their hideous |
arms dripping and glistening They are
certainly the largest and strangest of
the flyers without wings. From G. II.
Holders Flying Without Wings" IN
81. Nicholas