[ 53 } 
mie A Th ORR VIite, 
EPHEMERA VULGATA. 
Common Epnemera, or May-F Ly. 
NEUROPTERA. 
Wings 4. Naked, tranfparent, reticulated with veins or nerves. 
‘Tail without a fting. 
GENERIC CHARACTER. 
Antennz very fhort. Two protuberances before the eyes. Wings 
erect. Second pair fmall. Two or three tails like briftles, Short 
lived, 
SPECIEIC CHARACTER: 
Wings reticulated, brownifh with five or fix brown fpots. Body 
yellowifh, with black fpecks. Three tails. 
EPHEMERA VULGATA: cauda trifeta, alis nebulofo maculatis. 
Linn. Syft. Nat. 2. 906.1. Fn. Sv. 1472. 
Tn the larva and pupa ftate, this Infect is found under loofe ftones 
at the bottom of fhallow pools ; in the winged ftate it frequents the 
water. 
We have feveral fpecies of this genus in England. The Epbe- 
mera Vulgata, is the largeft among them. A very diftinguifhing 
charaCter of them is the fhortnefs of their lives, which feldom ex- 
ceeds a few hours. In the month of May thefe Infects are feen in 
great plenty on the water, where they are greedily devoured by the 
fifh ; anglers fay, when the large Ephemera appears, the trout will 
{nap at no other bait, than the artificial fly made after its form.— 
Tn fome fpecimens the wings are more clouded, and the tails longer 
than in others. le PLATE 
