ANCIENT ANGLING AUTHORS 211 



Some frequently make this Fly with a Green Tail, 

 which I could never find to be of any Service. The 

 Green Tail Fly is the female, which as soon as it 

 lights on the Water looses its Tail. I take this to 

 be the Egg of the Fly, for I have caught two of them 

 which have been tyed together which I put into a 

 Box for 24 Hours, and upon opening the Box I 

 found they were parted, and that one of 'em had a 

 small lump of Green at its Tail about the biggness 

 of a Pin's head: This I kept 12 Hours longer, when 

 the Green part came from it like an Egg, which 

 induces me to think that this is the Female Fly, 

 and I presume that most other Flyes breed after 

 the same Manner. 



The Red Spinner comes down the beginning of 

 July, and continues till the middle of the same 

 Month : He is to be fish'd with only in the Evenings 

 of very hot Days. His Wings are made of a Grey 

 Drake's Feather lightly ting'd with a yellow Gloss : 

 His Body is made of Gold Twist, with a red hackle 

 over it. 



It is evident that Bowlker was not merely an 

 angler, but also a keen and observant naturalist. He 

 relates the following interesting observations on the 

 life history of the May-fly : 



It has been an opinion generally receiv'd among 

 my Brother Anglers that the May Fly proceeds from 

 the Cod-bait but I find by experience that this is 

 a very great mistake. For the Cod-bait produces a 

 very different Fly, call'd the Cadis or Cod-bait Fly, 

 which I shall presently have occasion to describe : 

 And I have lately had an opportunity of convincing 

 some Gentlemen very curious in the Art, who were 

 of that opinion till they had the satisfaction of seeing 

 the Cadis Flyes produced from Cod-baits, which I 



