RED AND BLACK PALMERS. 203 



over the body, overlap at the tail, aud are of a fine shining 

 brown, similar in colour and texture to the wings of the 

 well-known alder-fly. These, however, are only the upper 

 wings ; under them, and joining the body about a third of 

 its length down, is another pair of wings. The extension 

 of these two pair of wings when the insect is in the act of 

 flight give this species, as I have said, rather a considerable 

 appearance ; but the moment it perches, its pretentious 

 appearance vanishes, and it becomes a fine shred again. 

 There are a good many varieties of this fly, and they vary 

 in shade and size as the season advances. The body is best 

 imitated with a fine shred from the yellowish quill from 

 a thrush's wing; for legs a grizzled blue dun cock's 

 hackle ; the under-wings starling's feather (not too much 

 of it), and above them two fine slips of hen blackbird's 

 wing. I consider this a useful fly, if well and carefully 

 dressed, throughout the season ; and though it can hardly 

 be considered an indispensable one, I have seen the trout 

 feeding upon it almost to the exclusion of every other fly. 

 Owing to the peculiar arrangement of the wings, it is very 

 difficult to dress, however ; and possibly if dressed buzz or 

 hackle-wise with about one-half of the hackle fibres on 

 the under or breast side snipped off (as indeed all buzz 

 dressed flies, except the actual palmers, should be served), 

 it would be found to kill better. Hooks, Nos. 11 and 12. 

 The Red and Black Hacldes, or Palmers, as they are 

 termed, are especial favourites and quite a piece de resist- 

 ance with many anglers, more particularly the red one. 

 When you have tried various flies and are at a loss what 

 to try, you may often use it with effect, particularly in 

 heavy dead waters. As respects the palmer theory, it appears 

 to me to invade the realms of fancy, and Mr. Konalds' beau- 

 tiful drawings of the caterpillars of the Arctia Gaga, or 

 Laciocampa Rubi moths, &c., are ingenious, but, I fear, 

 misapplied. The only palmer at all answering to the 



