The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-11-24

fishes, often attaining a lengtfvof eight ssn
lnones and weight OF one am one half
pounds. Few q estions have caused so
much discussion as the so-cslled tiiRht of
these fishes. semper, Darwin, Gosse,
AesssIz and other naturalists have ex-
pressed different views uBon 1t. ! have
observed The movements Of several gen
era in the Atlantic, especially exocoetus
rondeletti. and have spent many hours
watching the California species, and am
convinced that the so-called fight is
simply soaring, the direction of tho wind
or ito presence or absence having little
to do with 1t. the fishes when alarmed
dash out of the water in the direction in
which they are headed. the motive power
being the tail, with its long lower obe,
which is whirled about furiousIy with
a screw-like motion. This impsrts
tremuIous motion &c the entire body.
giving the wings or pectoral nus viora-
tory mJvemnt construed by tho casual
unsc entihc observer into tapping; but
the moment the far is clenr OF the water
its pec,oral tins-lons webb.d organs
ike wlngs-snd its vsntrals appear to
become fixed or locked, and the fish
moves away in straight line, or bend
ing in graceful circle II the wind IS
blowing. For one hundred wards possibly
this flight is continued. then the tail
drops, and the moment it touches the
water the screw-like motion begins
again, ana once more the fish IL impelled
into the air and SCARE away. / have seen
"a eXocoetus repeat this three or foLf
times when followed by q funny. thus
travelling over an eighth OF " mile out of
tae wa'er and in no case was there t1e
slightest slping of the wings. have
had flying fish pass over my boat within
foot Of my face. Another struck my
companion in the back. and il had had
a kotak | could have caught the black,
s,arin s-eyed creature in the air. 1t saw
me distinctly. but possibly was so alarm
cd by the following enemy that II did
not change ITS course though l have seen
flying fishes drop suddenly to avoid
vessel and l believe that to limited
extent they have the power of changing
their course in the air to the right OF
left, an they rise and fall over waves
with appar Jnt ease. AS a rule the flight
is two or three feet Dove the surface.
Oae OF the most beautiful exhl billions
it was ever my good fortune to observe
was q school vi 100 or more flying hsh
forced into the ar by tunnys on the south
enj OF Santa Catalina. 1t was blowing
heavily and the wind caught these birds
thirty feet into the air, where they
turned in graceful curves, flashing An the
sunlight like gigantic insects. soaring
away like veritable birds, Tor once sscaP
ing their ancient enemy.
The allied iorms. the bill fishes
(hemirnamphns rosac and scom b0resox
pIevirostris) are also found here, but can
not be said to be cannon.
In the last days of summer the striped
honite (sards chilensis), Vegetable
hum m i n bird Of the sea in its irrides.
cent CO lorings, comes in, afford ing excel
lent sport to the angler and prefit tu the
professional fisherman.
Our mackerel, which - probably identi-
cal with the eastern Csc mbrr pneum atu-
phorus) does not affoP the valuable
fisheries found in the east from ito very