anglers' imitative devices. 45 



tliem, all the species of dragon-fly, with the exception 

 of one or two, being characterised by very clear, lace- 

 like, pellucid wings, entirely unadorned by those fan- 

 tastic and gaudy colours, borrowed from the peacock 

 and other ' birds of gayest plume/ which are made to 

 distinguish the supposed resemblance. Besides, the 

 finest salmon-fishing is in mild weather during the 

 colder seasons of the year, and in early spring, several 

 months before any dragon-fly has become visible on the 

 face of the waters, as it is a summer insect, and rarely 

 makes its appearance in the perfect state till the month 

 of June. If they bear no resemblance to each other in 

 form or colour, how much more unlike must they be, 

 when, instead of being swept down the current, as a 

 real one would be, the artificial fly is seen crossing and 

 re-crossing every stream and torrent, with the agility 

 of an otter, and the strength of an alligator I Now, as 

 it is demonstrable that the artificial fly generally used 

 for salmon bears no resemblance, except in size, to any 

 living one; that the only tribe w^hich it may be sup- 

 posed to represent, does not exist in the winged state 

 during the period when the imitation is most generally 

 and most successfully practised ; and if they did, that 

 their habits and natural powers totally disenable them 

 from being at any time seen under such circumstances 

 as would give a colour to the supposition of the one 

 being ever mistaken for the other ; may we not fairly 

 conclude that, in this instance at least, the fish proceed 

 upon other grounds, and are deceived by an appearance 

 of life and motion, rather than by a specific resemblance 

 to any thing which they had previously been in the 



