188 TROUT FISHING 



" ' rounded patches, in a single layer 

 " ' evenly spread, and in mutual con- 

 " ' tiguity.' After laying her eggs she 

 " floats to the surface and flies away, un- 

 "less perchance her setae or wings have 

 " become sodden, in which case the brief 

 "remnant of her life is sacrificed to her 

 "care for the next generation. Every 

 " observant fisherman has at times, when 

 " wading, been surprised to find a number 

 "of spinners crawling up his stockings 

 "and brogues. Doubtless these are the 

 "females striving to regain the surface 

 "after depositing their eggs in the 

 " manner just described." 



In a very scientific way, two things 

 were thus put beyond question. In the 

 first place, instead of being the main food 

 of trout, flies are only an occasional 

 luxury. In the second place, besides 

 being liable to fall on the water and be 

 drowned at the coming of strong winds 

 or of untoward chiUs, all female flies, in 

 the course of nature, go down into the 

 water voluntarily. Is it to be supposed 



