66 GREEN DRAKE. 



but much larger, the body being a full inch in 

 length, with three very long dark whisks at the 

 tail, and two feelers ; the wings are of a greenish 

 yellow, with dark spots ; the body and legs of a 

 yellowish white, with similar spots, darker towards 

 the extremity of the tail. They differ a little 

 in colour, according to the length of time they 

 have been in a flying state, and abound mostly in 

 clear sedgy rivers. 



The green drake is in season from the 20th of May 

 till the 20th of June, but is most plentiful just at 

 the end of the one month and the beginning of 

 the next ; a dry season and low water is most fa- 

 vourable for this fly, which may be used from eight 

 o'clock in the morning till six in the evening, 

 and when they are abundant, no other fly will be 

 taken. 



Artificial. The wings are made from a wild 

 mallard's light spotted feather, from the sides towards 



wings are dried for flight, the misnamed May-fty. Escaping, 

 after a protracted struggle of half a minute, from its watery 

 birth-place, it flutters restlessly up and down the same spot, 

 during its whole aera of a summer evening, and at last dies, as 

 the dying streaks of day are leaving the western horizon : and 

 yet, who shall say in that space of time it has not undergone 

 all the vicissitudes of a long and eventful life ; that it has not 

 felt all the freshness of youth, all the vigour of maturity, all the 

 weakness and satiety of old age, and all the pangs of death 

 itself: in short, who shall satisfy us that any essential differ- 

 ence exists between its four hours and our fourscore years?" 

 GILBERT WAKEFIELD. 



