Show I QUEER o M A runt Ti QUIRtS N A l ITS IT'S A mUD BIRD OF OFFISH OF 1 FISH I Fish I By Dr AUSTIN H CLARK CL Smithsonian Institution Do flying fish fl h really tl fly Thousands ot of o people every year ear ask this simple question In tact fact It is always ays being discussed and hu hag always been under discus discus- discussion discussion sion ever o since man first sailed the seas leu t Ever Every sailor allor knows know that flying fishes wings move for tor ho he has seen een them move and heard them hum Nothing but the fish could move them and there therefore tore the th allor sailor says Bays that the tho fish flah does move mOe them and consequently tiles flies after atter the tho manner of ot a bird Others Other say ay the flying fishes fishca do donot donot donot not fly because they cannot The muscles about the th bai bar bue ot of o th the wing like tins fins though largo tango and I strong are ar merely used to keep the wings wing extended and servo seno no other purpose noI I PURE PUKE THEORY The rho sailor retorts retort that this I is pure the theory or and not to be considered con- con In the th light of ot the th ob- ob observed ob observed served tact fact that the th thwing wings wing are aro actually lly moved mo Both Bolh sides Ides support their views with all sorts aorta orta of ot arguments argument from the tho realms realm of o biology anatomy and marine martn mythology and nd the discussion always alway comes cornea to rest exactly exact whore where it started j In their contentions contention both sides are aro partly right It has been hown shown that flying fishes tl he fly so ao sotar far that their flights cannot be ba b explained on the tho th bulls basis of at tho the inal foal original Impetus alone PINS FINS MOVI MOVE No one on who has lias ever ver seen sen them at close clo o quarters quarter can doubt the movement of ot their fins There fore while flying fish tl h are aro ar mainlY gliders their flight to some somo omo ex cx tent extent Is aided by the movement ot of their fins tins lIying fishes are ar found In the tho th J warm seas everywhere There Ther are arc re about tO different kinds kind Most Holt of ot them are ar a a toot foot in length or rather less but some somo kinds are arc a foot and a halt half long They often otten fly aboard ships when the Iho ho sea is and es- es especially especially es especially at night Once on a 1 avery avery very stormy trip from Japan to Honolulu numbers number came cam aboard moStly at night Our sailors were always on the lookout for tor them themas as they ore are excellent as food It I you cut a a flying fish open In the tho dark clark Its it insides inside gleam with light coming from the tho numerous little luminous crea creatures tures tunes cf the sea which it ha has eaten |