THE GREY OR BLACK DRAKE. 1 29 



The Grey or Black Drake is the metamorphosis or 

 transformation of the green. The colour is black 

 and white, and the fly finely and minutely freckled 

 in the wings. The body is milk white, the ribs faintly 

 touched with black, as also each extremity of the 

 body. The legs and tail are black, the latter being 

 double the length of the former. These flies are only 

 prevalent as the season of the drake begins to wane. 

 They whirl in clouds in the shadows of trees near and 

 overhanging the water, stragglers ever and anon 

 dropping upon its surface to deposit eggs, which 

 occurs particularly towards evening. In this act they 

 are generally caught by the fish, which incessantly 

 feed, so long as their prey is plentiful. 



This fly is not nearly so much appreciated as the 

 green, being in its perfect state more active, for, in 

 common with other ephemeral transformations, it 

 improves more in outward form than inward sub- 

 stance ; hence the preference of the wily fish. The 

 Grey Drake generally takes shelter under the 

 leaves of trees and bushes during mid-day in sultry 

 weather, emerging in the evening in incredible 

 numbers, and sporting in the air in every direction. 

 When the fly is matured enough to lay eggs it is 

 designated the Spent Black, owing to its gradually 

 getting darker in colour towards the end of its 

 existence. The operation of depositing the eggs so 

 exhausts the fly, that it dies immediately on the 

 completion of this function, a hollow shell being all 

 that remains. 



This insect, when in its new-born aerial dress, 

 K 



