78 CHIRONOMUS TENTANS 



Order . . Diptera 



Family . . CHIRONOMID.E 



Genus . . Chironomus 



Species . . tentans 



PLATE XVI 



Chironomus tentans has been brought promi- 

 nently before the angling fraternity by Mr. 

 Hugh T. Sheringham. He has stated that 

 it occurs in enormous quantities on Blagdon 

 reservoir, and that quite big fish will feed 

 upon it. Tentans has also been sent to me from 

 Lough Arrow, and I believe it occurs on a 

 good many lakes and reservoirs. At Mr. 

 Sheringham's request I prepared an article on 

 this fly, which was published in the " Field " of 

 10. 9. ii, and at the same time I gave the 

 dressing for an artificial pattern, which I believe 

 has been quite successfully used on Blagdon 

 waters. C. tentans appears in all the warmer 

 months, generally after sunset. 



Chironomus viridis, which also occurs at Blag- 

 don, is a somewhat smaller fly with an emerald- 

 green body. It appears in even greater numbers 

 than tentans, and at times is so plentiful that 

 the swarms of insects have the appearance of a 

 heavy mist over the neighbouring fields, but it 

 does not seem to be so regular or frequent at 

 Blagdon as the other species. It has been seen 

 plentifully in September. Viridis, when it does 

 appear, is much appreciated by the trout, as is 

 evidenced by the large numbers of the winged 



