EPHEMERID^E OF OTHER RIVERS. 19 



difficult to distinguish, except in the case of the spinners, 

 when it is not necessary to make any distinction. A large 

 fly on a fast rocky river is pretty certain to be a March 

 Brown. Ameletus inopinatus may be ruled out. The genus 

 Siphlurus does not appear to be very widely distributed, but 

 if met with its size alone offers a useful hint towards identifi- 

 cation. 



The ways of flies account very largely for the habits of 

 fish. A " taller" is digging amongst the weeds in search of 

 larvae nymphs and shrimps. A " bulger " is gulping nymphs 

 near the surface on their journey upward to turn themselves 

 into duns. The fish beloved of anglers has taken up a solid posi- 

 tion convenient for sucking in Duns as they float over his nose. 

 A fish which appears to be rising consistently at nothing at all 

 is very often taking spent spinners in the same way as he 

 might be taking duns. It is not easy to observe these spent 

 spinners on the water at any distance, as their wings are usually 

 outstretched and waterlogged, so that the whole fly is nearly 

 submerged. This last fish may be smutting, but not nearly 

 so often as he is said to be. 



There is, of course, very much more to be said on the subject 

 of the Ephemeridae from the point of view of the scientist, but 

 the fisher who has the energy to make himself familiar with 

 the few points here set out, should find himself well equipped 

 to deal with the ordinary little problems likely to arise at the 

 waterside. Nor do we hesitate to say that such time as is 

 spent in mastering the preliminary difficulties surrounding this 

 subject will be time well spent and never regretted so long as 

 the love of fish and fishing shall endure. 



