NATURAL HISTORY. 239 



Phys. — You are in the right; the fish I 

 have is a large trout — at least he is not much 

 less than 2 lbs. I have landed him ; shall I 

 keep him ? 



Hal. — As you please : he is as good as he 

 ever was, or ev^r will be in this water. 



Phys. — There are now more yellow flies 

 out than I have seen before this season. They 

 have appeared suddenly as if sprung from that 

 large alder. Though you gave us in a former 

 conversation some account of the flies used in 

 fishing, yet I hope you have not forgot your 

 promise, to favour us with some more details 

 on this subject, which, both as connected with 

 angling, and with a curious part of natural 

 history, is very interesting. 



Hal. — I wish it was in my power to give 

 you information from my own experience, 

 but, I am sorry to say, this has been very 

 limited; and though the English are peculiarly 

 the fly fishing nation, yet our philosophical 

 anglers have not contributed much to this de- 

 partment of science, and what has been done 

 is principally by foreigners, amongst whom 

 Swammerdam, Reaumur, and above all De 



