104 ART OF ANGLING. 



Some anglers vary the body of this fly by warp- 

 ing with ash-coloured silk and silver twist. It 

 is chiefly to be fished with in the evening, after 

 the Yellow May Fly has disappeared, that is, 

 from six o'clock till dark. 



General Observations an Ephemeral Flies, ap- 

 plied particularly to the two preceding. 

 ( 'This species of insect is named ephemeral, 

 because of its very short existence in the fly 

 state. It is one of the most beautiful species 

 of flies, and undergoes five changes. At first 

 the egg contains its vital principle ; it comes 

 forth a small caterpillar, which is transformed 

 into a chrysalis, then into a nympha, and lastly 

 into a fly, which deposits its eggs upon the sur- 

 face of the water, where the sun's rays bring 

 them to life. Each egg produces a little red 

 worm, which moves in a serpentine manner ; as 

 soon as the cold weather sets in, this little 

 worm makes for itself a shell, or lodging, where 

 it passes the winter ; at the end of which it 

 ceases to be a worm, and enters into ils third 

 state, that of a chrysalis. It then sleeps till 

 spring, and gradually becomes a beautiful 

 nympha, or a sort of mummy, something in the 

 form of a fish. At the time of its metamorpho- 

 sis, the nympha at first seems inactive and life- 

 less ; in six days the head appears, raising itself 



