TROUT FLIES IN APRIL 



Both male and female are very beautiful in shape 

 and color. The difference, especially in color, be- 

 tween male and female is greater than in any other 

 aquatic insect I know. From a glance at the col- 

 ored representations it will be seen that the male has 

 two large and two small wings of silvery trans- 

 parency, tinged with warm yellow, that lap over 

 the body like most species of duns, although they 

 rise higher over the body than the wings of the fe- 

 male. The tail, in seven segments, is a beautiful, 

 soft, gray-green color, in striking contrast to the 

 vienna-brown shoulders and long, pliable legs. The 

 head is small, with shining black eyes, between 

 which grow two brown feelers or horns, moved for- 

 ward or backward at will. 



The more sedately colored female has four gray- 

 brown, mottled wings that lap down just over the 

 tail. The shoulders are bronze-green above, turn- 

 ing to purplish-black at the belly; and the feet, as 

 well as the horns, are brown. The black head and 

 eyes of the female are somewhat larger than those 

 of the male. The tail is dark brown, with a dull 

 band of yellow ochre along the sides. At the end 

 of the tail, pushed in a sort of cavity, is the bright 

 green egg-sack, which is easily removed. I pulled 

 quite a few egg-sacks from the body and placed 

 them in shallow water; after a few seconds they 

 sank to the bottom. I have so far not been able to 

 tell for certain whether the shad-fly deposits the 



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