AMERICAN TROUT-STREAM INSECTS 



general tone of the body and wings is a dull sage- 

 green. Unlike the black ant of spring, this insect 

 has a fat, shiny body of four sections ; the shoulders 

 and head being a little blacker in tone, and the legs 

 a bright brown. 



I consider this insect the most important of the 

 month for the reason that on the 22nd day occurred 

 an extraordinary rise: the surface of the water 

 swarmed with them from four in the afternoon till 

 dark, and during that time the water fairly bubbled 

 with the varied fishes feeding on them. Trout, 

 chub, dace, and bass rose to the surface everywhere 

 in such numbers as I had not seen since the shad 

 rise in May. For three days following, the rise 

 continued in diminishing numbers, and the fish con- 

 tinued to feed on them. This rise was not confined 

 to a limited area of a few hundred feet, for I heard 

 that it extended over six miles. 



This ant is a very pretty insect, both flying and 

 at rest. In flight it is similar in appearance to the 

 cowdung; not so swift, but just a steady round and 

 round motion, most always over or near the water. 



I captured many specimens which varied slightly 

 in size. Some were attached to a smaller winged 

 ant, which I imagine to be the opposite sex. 



The shape and the color of this ant were so dif- 

 ferent from any artificial I had with me that I failed 

 to get a rise to the flies offered. That is usually the 

 case when very heavy flights occur. Except when 



82 



