74 LIST OF FLIES. 
length, a quarter ; wings not so much, which are of a clear 
inky tinge, and fold over the back like those of the blue 
gnat; body black, more cylindrical and rather longer ; 
shoulders a bright Japan black; legs black. Out all day 
to near the end of the season. 
Body, black silk ; wings and legs a neck feather from the 
cock-pheasant or starling. 
Notse.—The empress declines, and the needle yellow and 
orange brown are all that remain of her kindred. The 
needle and yellows are hatching and on the water daily in 
great numbers ; the orange are not so numerous, but are 
rarely refused by the trout. All the various sized drakes 
for small flyfishing—the checkwing, and wings of all shades, 
from the pale blue dun of the tern to the dark plum hue of 
the water-hen and coot-—are hatching and taken by the 
fish, in the day time and again in the evening, in their 
second dresses. The little freckled duns are hatching very 
numerous, and the spinner tribes in great numbers and 
varieties, The spinner and black and yellow spinner may 
be fished natural, for the fish are in the midst of living food; | 
and the trout, like the lion, “feeds on nothing that doth 
seem as dead.” Flights of ants and the pismire tribes are 
common this month. The beetle and house fly tribes have 
their turns with the fish. The wily craftsman strives to 
fall in with the favorite, when he marks the fish rising, and 
notes each flitting fly; for the flies and the fish must lead 
him the way. At this high temperature of the air, the 
No. 2. Body, two strands of a magpie’s tail feather; wings and hackle, starling. 
No. 3, As No. 2, but employing the scales of a pike for the wings. 
No. 4. Body, heron’s feather ; hackle, dark starling. I may add that the flies, 
or rather midges, dressed according to the above patterns, which Mr. Marston kindly 
sent for my inspection, were simply perfection ; they were, I believe, dressed by Mr. 
Hall himeelf, and were tied upon the patent-eyed hooks which were invented by that 
gentleman. No, 3 was a triumph of art, the pike’s scales exactly imitating the 
wings of the natural insect ; the hooks are, however, necessarily so very small, that 
when the fish is hooked, the chance of landing him is extremely remote, consequently 
I do not consider that ‘‘ the game is worth the candle.” 
