ON CREEPERS. 105 



from just within the water's edge, and their empty creeper 

 skins on those without. They are hatching, when the 

 weather is open, nearly the year round. Some of them 

 leave the water with their wings only in the bud, and may 

 be seen running exceedingly fast on the tops of posts or 

 large stones by the water sides, when the sun shines warmly 

 upon them query, are they males ? 



3RD. YELLOW BROWN (Yellow Sally). Length, about 

 three-eighths, more or less ; legs and whisks yellow ; head, 

 shoulders, and body, yellow ground, marked on the upper 

 parts with dark brown. Is a beautiful little creeper, and 

 may be found when the water is low, under stones by the 

 sides arid in shallow runs, at the time of hatching, when 

 they fix themselves to the under sides of stones just with- 

 out the water's edge. 



All the creepers of this class are readily taken by the fish, 

 but they instinctively keep themselves close under the 

 stones. 



CREEPERS OF THE DRAKE CLASS. 



No eggs have been seen attached to the bodies of the females 

 of this class, but from their frequent dropping upon the 

 waters it may be supposed they then deposit the germ of 

 their creepers, which have an uncouth appearance when 

 compared with their neat trim flies. The heads of most of 

 them are large and round, particularly those species which 

 produce flies with large gogling and case eyes ; their shoul- 

 ders are round and made larger by the enclosed wings ; the 

 body and whisks are similar to those of the flies, but more 

 bulky, and the whisks, legs, and some of the joints of the 

 body set with fine hair, which flows and moves in the water, 

 and may answer the purpose of fins. The smaller species 

 require looking at closely to distinguish them. They are 

 of a jelly-like transparency ; the colors and marks of the 



