284 THE SPORTSMAN IN FRANCE. 



by steeping his foot-lengths in cocoa, 

 which had the effect of dyeing them of 

 the precise colour of the stream. 



His flies were of a very peculiar con- 

 struction, and, with a national partiality 

 truly pardonable, considering their ex- 

 cellence, they were invariably made on 

 the Limerick hook. The fly he generally 

 used was the following : the extremity of 

 the body purple, the centre a reddish 

 brown, and the head a bright yellow ; for 

 the tail two narrow strips of the mal- 

 lard's feather, and the wings from the 

 pinion of a pheasant ; this was one of 

 the major's favourites, and a killing fly it 

 was ; but he had others, and in endless 

 variety. He had one par excellence (his 

 Sunday fly, as he called it) yclept " Miss 

 Jenny," that never failed him, as he re- 

 peatedly assured me. It was of a bright 

 red colour in the body, and when held up 

 to the light had a brilliant and captivating 



