TROUT FLIES. 73 



I ever had in my life long (except in sweethearting 

 when young), than in lifting one of those aurelia 

 from the stream, and sitting down with it on the 

 palm of my hand in the sun, till it put out its 

 feelers, and drew itself by degrees from its envelop- 

 ment. Then its wings sprang erect, shewing it off as 

 tenderly-pure as a vision of thought ; and when 

 dried, it mounted in its new element, to delight its 

 hour or its day in the pleasures of a new state of 

 joyous existence. 



Though some species of the water fly have been 

 considered ephemeral, I do not think any of them 

 are exactly so ; as they continue to flutter about the 

 bushes, where you may beat them out in thousands 

 in a cold morning, and when brought home to the 

 windows they will live for several days. After they 

 have risen from their maggot state at the bottom of 

 the water, to the most perfect winged portion of their 

 existence, they swim and flutter on the surface till 

 they have gone through all the operations necessary 

 to the continuance of their species, dropping their 

 eggs on the surface, which, being of more specific 

 gravity than water, sink gradually : and wherever 

 the current of water may leave them at the bottom, 

 which is most generally on a ford, they settle and 

 adhere by an emitted gluey substance to the under 



