352 THE RIVER-SIDE NATURALIST. 



The GRAVEL-BED or SPIDER-FLY is one of the family 

 Tipulidce. There are two species : 



1. Anisomera nigra (Ronalds says obscum). Body dark 

 dunnish-black ; wings grey ; legs dull and ferruginous. 

 Inhabits banks of the streams amongst the hills, and occurs 

 most frequently in the north of England and in Scotland. 



2. A. villata. Cinereous dull black ; wings greyish ; 

 veins black and equally clouded ; abdomen pilose on each 

 side. Not so rare as A. m'gra, and inhabits same localities 

 (Walker). 



The BLACK GNAT of Ronalds is the Ramphamyia nigripes 

 of the family Empidce. 



The FISHERMAN'S CURSE, the sight of which produces so 

 many expressions of disgust and vexation, is of the same 

 family, of which there are many species. The body is 

 clothed with black hairs ; wings colourless ; legs blackish- 

 brown in the male ; the female is more hairy and darker, 

 with legs varying in size. 



The BLUEBOTTLE (Musca vomitorid) is sometimes used as 

 a bait for trout, but it is more suitable for chub. 



The COMMON HOUSE-FLY (Musca domestica) is at times a 

 killing bait. 



The DOWN-HILL FLY of Ronalds is of the family Rhagio- 

 nidce Rhagio scolopacis. 



The order LEPIDOPTERA includes the Butterflies and 

 Moths. The various butterflies which cross our path 

 when by the river-side rarely become food for fish we 

 have seen one occasionally taken by a voracious trout leap- 

 ing quite out of the water after its prey but our attention 

 is often attracted and our eyes enchanted as we gaze upon 

 some of these beautiful objects when they are culling the 

 honey from the blossoms of the great meadow-thistle, or 

 the sweet-scented dropwort, or the drooping honeysuckle. 

 Spring-time, amongst many others, gives us the Sulphur or 

 Brimstone ; the Large White, with its black-tipped wing ; 

 the lovely Orange-Tip, with its rapid flight ; the Wood- 

 Lady ; the Gate-Keeper or Speckled-Wall. The summer 

 months of June, July, and August are enlivened by the 



