ON SALMON FLIES. 69 



and no one till now should have stumbled upon this 

 salt sea shrimp. We are now making- as renowned 

 a fish of him as if he were actually the great " salt- 

 sea shark." He is a most active little fellow, with 

 his score of limbs, arms, oars, feelers, and feathered 

 tail, all spread in action. On minute observation 

 our salmon flies resemble this shrimp more than any 

 other creature we wot of, either on land or in water : 

 their various size, indicating youth or age, the 

 form of body with its appendages, and the different 

 colours they assume, agreeably to the reflection in 

 light or shade, like the pheasant's or pigeon's neck. 

 Then, observe this creature in its own element 

 moving through the variety of its exercitations, its 

 limbs thrown abroad like a bird's wings in air, and 

 feet moving as swimming in mid-depth of water, its 

 contractions and expansions, as it draws in the 

 hinder part of its body, and strikes back with its 

 horizontally spread tail in acceleration of progression. 

 Then see the salmon at ease below, his ever-awake 

 eye alert on the watch for prey, as well as against 

 surprise. Now he shoots forward like a feathered 

 dart, or, nosing out on the prowl, snaps up the 

 shrimp as the swallow takes flies in the upper 

 element. 



What a picture does nature everywhere present, 



