218 



FLIES. 



pattern of one rather prized by " the greatest 

 sculptor in Europe," who took salmon with it 

 below this town, in just such water as there is 

 at present, when no one else could stir a fin. 

 But you saw its powers, though my unskil- 

 fulness counteracted them. Very fortunately, 

 just before starting off to meet you yester- 

 day afternoon, I made this, its fac-simile, in 

 order not to lose so valuable a pattern. Now 

 having completed the " aforesaid" circle, let me 

 tell you, that after the four turns of silver thread 

 under and below it, the tail is composed of three 

 fibres of the yellow spreading back feather of the 

 golden pheasant ; the body is of light red-brown 

 mohair, left rough, with silver thread wound up 

 it; and over this, all the way, comes a Marlow 

 buzz hackle ; that is, a red-hackle, with a black 

 stripe up the stem, and the fibres tipped with 

 black. The wings are, first a mixture of plain 

 dark speckled guinea fowl's back feather, with an 

 equal quantity of the same feather dyed maroon ; 

 over these, and extending rather beyond them, 

 comes about the same proportion of dark speckled 

 mallard, such as I have just mentioned ; for horns 

 projecting still further, and towards the tail, are 

 four fibres of the dark (not brown) speckled mal- 

 lard's feather from the side of the body under 

 the wing, dyed a bright yellow ; and three turns 

 of a maroon dyed ostrich hurl make the head. 



