72 TROUT FLIES. 



in myriads, and constitute a portion of the food of 

 trouts throughout the winter, as they do in their more 

 fully developed state when winged in the summer. 

 On 23d November, ] 837, from the stomach of a trout 

 about half-a-pound weight, I counted out three hun- 

 dred of these maggots all in the skins, many of them 

 still retaining the appearance of life. 



The genial fine weather in early spring brings forth 

 a portion of these maggots every fresh sunny hour, 

 just as they come into a state of forwardness toward 

 the maturity of their existence. Having left their 

 habitation on the stone, they float for some time 

 enclosed in a second tough film, within which their 

 wings lie in one single fold, and from which they 

 creep out by degrees, leaving this last vestment a 

 floating wreck. So soon as extricated, their wings 

 spring erect, shewing them off the finished, lovely, 

 gentle denizens of air.* 



Not a more delectable half-hour's amusement have 



* A friend who has been a keen angler for fifty years, gave us the 

 following information : An old man of his acquaintance (but not an 

 angler) came to him one day and said he had something to tell him 

 that he thought very curious. He had been sitting in the sun- 

 shine close by the river, when he saw what he thought a small 

 bit of brown moss rise from the bottom of the water to the surface. 

 He kept looking at it fora few seconds, when he thought it began to 

 move. Presently a small fly stood erect upon it, then spread out 

 its wings and flew off ; and one fly after another continued to do 

 the same until the brown speck disappeared, it having been a cluster 

 of water-flies. [EDB.J 



