40 FOOD OF FISHES. 



Water Flies. 



Besides the insects or their young which live in the 

 water, there are many others which are fond of playing 

 on, or near, its surface, and in that case are eagerly 

 watched and pursued by fishes. Among these may he 

 reckoned water spiders, water hugs, water measurers, 

 water beetles, but, above all, numerous species of two- 

 winged and four-winged flies, including several moths, 

 all of which are greedily seized by fishes when they 

 can effect their capture. Some of these just mentioned, 

 such as the spiders, beetles, and bugs, may be found at 

 most seasons, whereas the appearance of particular 

 species of flies is periodical, and their existence in the 

 winged state of very limited duration. 



Of these flies, the most celebrated amongst natural- 

 ists, and little less so amongst anglers, are what I have 

 above termed day-flies 1 . M. Reaumur says, it is usually 

 about the middle of August that they are expected by 

 the fishermen in France, and when their season is come 

 they talk of the manna beginning to appear, calling the 

 insects by this term on account of the quantity of food 

 for the fish, which falls as the manna is recorded to 

 have done in the desert. On the 1 9th of August, 

 Reaumur, having received notice that the flies had 

 begun to appear, and that millions of them were coining 

 out of the water, got into his boat about three hours 

 before sunset. 



te The countless numbers," he says, " of the flies 



(1) In Latin, Ephemendce. 



