MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 7r)[) 



only, and that those (lros8ini;s are accepteil chiully bi-cansc' they repre- 

 sent a fly or creeper for which the fish are looking at the time it is pre- 

 sented to them. There are tunes on our lakes and quieter pools when 

 trout may be seen greedily taking a lioating lly when they will not look 

 at a wet one. At those times a *lry fly tisher would score heavily, but 

 these occasions do not come so fraqueutly as they do at home and the 

 day has not come yet when the close study retjuired for success with the 

 dry tly, is necessary to the acquisition of a full creel. Observation, how- 

 ever, can make a big ditierence. Another p lint that helps much is the 

 size of the fly. Most neoi)hytes use flies nuich larger than the natural 

 insects, and when the water is big or a little thick this sometimes sives 

 good results, but when the water is clear, flne trout are becoming more 

 discriminating, especially on waters that have been much fished, so that 

 the nearer to nature one can get the better. 



As the season advances, flies with a peacock harl body seem to become 

 more attractive. The alder is the earliest of these, and is most effective 

 when Avell sunk. Hardy's Favourite is a modification of this fly which is 

 often very successful. The Coachman is, perhaps, one of this most successful 

 flies after June, and is useful much earlier, in the evening. AVith June 

 also the big sedge comes out in numbers, and from that time onward the 

 cinnamon wing is distinctly useful. A "Wickham's Fancy v.-ith a cinnamon 

 wing will often score where duller flies have tailed, the gold body giving 

 the glint that a natural fly in bright sunshine often has. 



On the Bringhi and some of the higher streams where bright red and 

 blue winged grass hoppers are about, a fairly big blue winged fly with a 

 red body and a bit of golden pheasant let into the wing is efl'ective. The 

 Durham Ranger also does at times. 



Some anglers use our sea trout flies and kill tro at witii them. The Jock 

 Scott, Silver Doctor, Black Doctor and Alexandra are all at tin.es effective, 

 but if one can diagnose the reason for their being so, one is a step nearer 

 clearing oneself of the stigma of being a chuck and chance fisherman, 

 which dry fly men throw at wot anglers generally. 



I see I have omitted two of the best of flies, the claret (or brown) and 

 Mallard, and the red spinner. Both are effective when the lower sides of 

 big stones in the stream are to be seen covered with gnats, some of which 

 have a red look about the body, often caused bj^ a parasite. 



On the high lakes where red erustacea of the order Copepoda are to be 

 seen, 1 think the Cardinal might be tried and any thing resembling a Daddy 

 long legs would 1 am sure be appreciated, these flies being very 

 numerous. 



Skinagak, Kashmik, 

 December 1917. 



F. J. MITCHELL. 



Xo. XIX.— NOTE ON THE HABITS OF THE DEVTHS-HEAD 

 MOTH, ACUERONTIA STYX. 



This morning on entering my bathroom I was surprised to find a huge 

 larva of Acheronlia styx on a wooden stool. T had been watching it for 

 some days with interest feeding and growing on a tomato plant about ten 

 feet outside the door, but had not expected to see it inside the house. 



When lifting it out with two toothbrush handles I was surprised to hear 

 it squeak distinctly, not once nor twice merely but every time it was thus 

 handled. 



