56 LIST OF FLIES. 



streams and seeks society, and soon they draw together in 

 increasing numbers. Towards evening they muster in 

 swarms in the vicinity of the streams, towering upwards, 

 higher than the eye can see. Each individual fly keeps 

 long on the wing, in up and down motion, rising and fall- 

 ing nearly perpendicularly ; this is repeated each evening 

 until the females leave the society and repair back to the 

 waters, which is often their destruction, but the salvation 

 of their offspring. She fearlessly braves all its dangers, 

 hovers over it, and frequently drops upon it to deposit her 

 future progeny safely on its surface, which seems to be her 

 only care and last enjoyment in life. After laying her eggs 

 she becomes weak and languid ; numbers fall exhausted on 

 the waters and are taken by the fishes, or die. Their con- 

 tinuation as green and grey drakes may be for six weeks, 

 when they disappear for the year small groups of later 

 flies may be sometimes seen to the end of July. In this 

 manner the blue, brown, checkwing, the watchets, and all 

 the drake species have their beginning, career, and end of 

 life. The brood or swarm of each species, at their appointed 

 times, burst from their creeper skins at the top of the water, 

 sport their short lives, and make their exit similar to the 

 green and grey drake. 



64TH. WHITE DRAKE. Length about one-eighth, alto- 

 gether white, except a brown dab on the top of the shoul- 

 ders ; wings rather broad, and shew pinky tints ; body 

 thickish, with three whisks. After casting is much smarter, 

 and the dab on the shoulders a fine rufous or red brown. 

 There is another variety of the same size, but a pale blue 

 color both are too small for the purposes of the angler. 



This little peri, like a small atom of waxwork, is the 

 smallest of the drake tribes mentioned here. They come 

 out of the water on warm afternoons, and may be seen in 

 great numbers from six to seven o'clock in serene and sunny 



