4iO 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 bugs, water mea- 

 surers, 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 exist- 

 ence 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 . 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 19th of August, 

 Reaumur, having received notice that the flies had 

 begun to appear, and that millions of them were coming 

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

 before sunset. 



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



(1) In Latin, Ephemeridas. 



