Abstract
I HAVE crossed the Atlantic and Indian Oceans many times and at different seasons of the year, but until my last voyage to Calcutta I was unable to answer this question positively. For days together, aided at times by a powerful field-glass, I have endeavoured to establish satisfactorily whether these nimble little fish used their membranous wings after rising above the surface of the sea or not. An old and valued friend, the late Charles Kingsley, on his voyage to the West Indies, so graphically painted in the pages of “At Last,” records his opinion in favour of the wings being employed as a means of propulsion through the air after the fish quit their more natural element, and I certainly inclined to the same belief, although, owing to the “ever-vexed” condition of the Atlantic, I found accurate observation impossible. In the Indian seas the fish appear at rarer intervals, and limit correspondingly the chances of watching their movements.
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
MITCHELL, R. Do Flying-Fish Fly or Not?. Nature 31, 53 (1884). https://doi.org/10.1038/031053a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/031053a0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.