214 ANCIENT ANGLING AUTHORS 



with them. This is the end of the Females, but 

 the Males never resort to the River, as I could per- 

 ceive, but after they have done their Office, drop 

 down, languish and die under the Trees, and Bushes. 

 I observ'd that the Females were most numerous, 

 which was very necessary, considering the many 

 enemies they have, during the short time of their 

 appearance ; for Birds and Fish are very fond of 

 them, and no doubt under the Water they are a 

 food for small Aquatick Insects. What is further 

 remarkable in this surprising Creature is, that in a 

 life of a few Days, it eats nothing, seems to have 

 no apparatus for that purpose, but brings up with 

 it out of the Water sufficient support to enable it 

 to shed its Skin, and perform the principle end of 

 life with great Vivacity. The particular time when 

 I observ'd them very numerous and sportive, was 

 on the 26th of May, at 6 o'Clock in the Evening. 

 It was a sight very surprising and entertaining too, 

 the Rivers teeming with innumerable pretty nimble 

 flying Insects, and almost every thing near cover'd 

 with them : When I looked up into the Air it was 

 full of them, as high as I could discern, and being so 

 thick and always in motion, they made almost such 

 an Appearance as when one looks up and sees the 

 Snow coming down ; and yet this wonderful Appear- 

 ance, in three or four Days after the last of May, 

 totally disappear'd. 



The Goodhart referred to above is probably 

 Gaedaert, who appended to his Historical Observa- 

 tions a " particular narration " on the May-fly by a 

 writer with the appropriate name of D. de Mey. 

 Swammerdam was the author of Ephemeri Vita ; or 

 the natural history and anatomy of the Ephemeron, 

 a fly that lives but five hours. This book was pub- 



