94 The American Salmon-fisherman. 



in shape like an inverted T, was secured by a freely 

 movable joint. To the cross-piece of the T the flies to 

 be examined were secured by pieces of very soft iron 

 wire, about the thickness of a fine sewing-thread. The 

 joints at the points where the iron wires were secured to 

 the copper wire, as well as where they were attached to 

 the loop at the heads of the flies, admitted of j)erfect 

 freedom of movement. Six flies could thus be simul- 

 taneously compared. 



It was thought best to choose well-known flies of uni- 

 form size, and by a well-known maker, for experiment. 



Flies tied by Forest of Kelso, Scotland, on No. 1 

 O'Shaughnessy hooks were therefore selected, of the fol- 

 lowing varieties: Jock Scott, Durham Ranger, Silver 

 Doctor, Silver Gray, Butcher, Black Dose, and Black 

 Fairy. Subsequently a Fiery Brown was added, neces- 

 sarily by a different maker, as none of the former make 

 were procurable. It was, however, of the same size, and 

 may be described as follows: Tail, topping; butt, yellow 

 silk; body, fiery-brown pig's- wool; fiery-brown hackle tied 

 palmer-fashion; gold tinsel; wings, brown mallard; horns, 

 yellow macaw; head, black hurl. Many other varieties 

 were tried as well, but it will be sufficient to confine our 

 attention to these. 



My first effort was addressed to determine whether the 

 salmon did mistake the fly for a minnow or shrimp, as by 

 many supposed. My belief that salmon take the fly as 

 and for food, and for no other purpose, has been else- 

 where stated, together with the reasons upon which that 

 belief is based. 



Unfortunately no shrimps were to be had during the 

 period when these experiments were in progress. Min- 



