AMERICAN TROUT-STREAM INSECTS 



period that the natural insect moves over the water. 



The green drakes do not appear to rise over the 

 waters of the Catskill region in vast clouds such 

 as are described on British streams, or some other 

 American waters, as, for instance, Lake George. 

 They are, nevertheless, quite abundant on the 

 Beaverkill and neighboring streams, both in the 

 dajrtime and at evening. I have counted forty 

 specimens of both sexes in one locality floating and 

 flying over the water. 



The female floats gracefully along the surface 

 for a considerable distance, at intervals rising and 

 dropping until devoured. In its flight it is of a 

 decidedly yellow-greenish tint, and it lives three or 

 four days as here pictured; then the female changes 

 to what is known as the gray drake, casting away 

 its garb of delicate yellow-green and appearing 

 in one of soft gray. The wings become more trans- 

 parent and sparkUng, and the fly more active in 

 this, its final, existence. The male, smaller than 

 the female and not nearly so beautiful or so fat, 

 changes to what is known as the black drake. The 

 under part of both male and female is pale yellow. 



The green drake, while the most luscious and 

 tempting of trout food during its short rise in the 

 month of May, is not by any means the most abun- 

 dant of the insects found in the locality here de- 

 scribed; though a good imitation will be found an 

 unfailing lure for the large-sized brown or rainbow 



38 



