The greatest length of time that I have seen these _volatile_ fish on the _fin_, has been thirty seconds by the watch, and their longest flight, mentioned by Captain Hall, has been two hundred yards; but he thinks that subsequent observation has extended the space. The most usual height of flight, as seen above the surface of the water, is from two to three feet; but I have known them come on board at a height of fourteen feet and upwards; and they have been well-ascertained to come into the channels of a line of battle ship, which is considered as high as twenty feet and upwards.[13] But it must not be supposed they have the power of elevating themselves in the air, after having left their native element; for on watching them I have often seen them fall much below the elevation at which they first rose from the water, but never in any one instance could I observe them raise themselves from the height at which they first sprang, for I regard the elevation they take to depend on the power of the first spring or leap they make on leaving their native element. On the 6th of June, in latitude 1° 50′ north, and longitude 25° 14′ west, a flying-fish was brought me by one of the steerage passengers, which had just “flown” on board over his head, as he was standing near the fore-part of the ship; being still alive when he brought it to me, I hastened to place it in a bucket of water, to ascertain whether it would attempt to spring from it, and “take flight;” however, I found it was too late, for after floating about with its long pectoral fins half expanded, as it remained near the surface of the water, it continued alive for about the space of a minute, and then died. They usually, from the violence with which they come on board, receive some injury against the spars, boats, or chains, sufficient to destroy them; and therefore it will be difficult to observe their true actions as when performed in full vigour in their native element. This specimen measured nine inches in length. What excited my attention in this fish was a species of _anatifa_ attached by its peduncle to the thorax. I regard as a very unusual circumstance, the existence of an _anatifa_ attached to a living animal, particularly one of such rapidity of motion as this fish is usually supposed to be. The height at which this fish came on board could not have been less than fourteen feet from the surface of the water, and on the windward side of the vessel.