Flying-fish are about the size of a large herring; their body is oblong
and smaller at the tail; their head large and flat; their eyes round and
big, with immense pupils, and surrounded by a yellow circle, and another
larger blackish one: their mouth is middle-sized, destitute of teeth,
but armed with jaws slightly denticulated. The tail is wide and forked;
the wings very large, and composed of a membrane thinner than paper, of
a whitish grey colour. They are furnished with six small fins, a bony
shell, pointed at the end, and scales of various colours and forms, but
shining like those of a herring. They fly out of the water to avoid the
dorados, which try to catch them; but in a few moments, as soon, in
fact, as their wings are dried by the air, fall back into the sea, and
being again moistened are enabled to renew their flight. In various seas
they are of various forms and sizes. The Portugueze sailors do not
refuse to eat their flesh.