322 BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. 



called " helgramite," " dobson," " grampus," " dobsell," 

 '* hellion," "kill-devil," "crawler," and other euphonious 

 names. The male of the perfect, winged-insect has long 

 antennae, or horns, from which its specific and common 

 names are derived. 



It exists for several years in the larval state, when it 

 is generally known as the " helgramite," being a curious, 

 flattened, and, to most persons, a repulsive-looking worm, 

 growing to a length of two or three inches, and about a 

 half inch in width. It has a head and pincers resembling, 

 somewhat, those of a beetle; has six legs along the thorax; 

 while the body is composed of a number of rings, to which 

 are attached fringes bearing some likeness to small legs; 

 the body terminates in two short appendages, or tails, on 

 each of which are two small hooks. The color is a dark, 

 dirty, brown. 



The helgramite, by means of its hooks and pincers, 

 clings readily and tenaciously to different objects, and 

 hides securely under rocks, bowlders, driftwood, logs, etc., 

 even in swift-running streams. They may be found cling- 

 ing to the decaying timbers of old dams and bridges, and 

 in the crevices of submerged stone-work at these places. 

 They are found on the "riffles" of streams, under the 

 bowlders and flat stones, and may be taken in these situa- 

 tions with the minnow-net, by stretching the latter across 

 the foot of the riffle ; when the stones above the net are 

 turned over, the helgramite, being thus disturbed, curls 

 himself into a ball and drifts into the net. 



They can be found, in fact, hiding under almost any 

 submerged object in the shallow portions of streams. 

 They feed upon decaying wood and vegetation, and other 

 substances. They can be kept alive for almost any length 



