THE SYSTEM OF ARTIFICIAL FLIES. 73 



and reeds of the waters over which they afterwards fly. 

 To the first-named family belong, roughly speaking, the 

 whole collection of the "duns," and "spinners," — the 

 drakes, or May-flies, the dark mackerel, the sand-fly, and 

 the March brown ; whilst the latter includes the cinna- 

 mon, the grannom or green-fly, the willow-fly, and, 

 more important than any, the stone-fly, or "water 

 cricket," which in the early part of the year is so plenti- 

 ful on many rivers. From these two great families, in 

 fact, some of which are on the water every day of the 

 year, fully three-fourths of the contents of most fly- 

 books will be found to consist ; they therefore commend 

 themselves as the families from which our typical flies 

 should be made. 



As regards form or shape no question can arise, as the 

 selected families are all unmistakably and characteristi- 

 cally flies, in the proper sense of the term, having wings, 

 legs, and, I think without an exception, " whisks," or 

 hair-like appendages at the tail. These whisks are not 

 only very "fly-like" and distinctive features, but are 

 also easily imitated, and assist materially to disguise the 

 hook, as well as to make the fly swim straigJit. This 

 last is an important point, as the effect of the extra 

 weight at the bend of the hook, unless counteracted by 

 some additional "float," is to make the fly swim tail 

 downwards. 



The great majority of the most favourite river flies 

 belong to the order Neitroptera, or nerve-winged insects. 



