NORTH AMERICA. 
79 
clouds of innumerable millions, fwarming and wan- 
toning in the ftill air, gradually drawing near the 
river. They defcend upon its furface, and there 
quickly end their day, after committing their eggs 
to the deep ; which being for a little while tolled 
about, enveloped in a vifcid fcum, are hatched, and 
the little Larva defcend into their fecure and dark 
habitation, in the oozy bed beneath, where they 
remain, gradually increafing in iize, until the re- 
turning fpring : they then change to a Nymph, when 
the genial heat brings them, as it were, into exig- 
ence, and they again arife into the world. This 
fly feems to be delicious food for birds, frogs, and 
fifh. In the morning, when they arife, and in the 
evening, when they return, the tumult is great in- 
deed, and the furface of the water along more 
broken into bubbles, or fpirted into the air, by the 
contending aquatic tribes ; and fuch is the avidity 
of the rlfli and frogs, that they fpring into the air 
after this delicious prey. 
Early in the evening, after a pleafant day's voy- 
age, I made a convenient and fafe harbour, in a little 
lagoon, under an elevated bank, on the Weft more 
of the river ; where I fhall entreat the reader's pa- 
tience, whilft we behold the doling fcene of the 
Ihort-lived Ephemera, and communicate to each 
other the reflections which fo lingular an exhibition 
might rationally fugged to an inquifitive mind. 
Our place of obfervation is happily fituated under 
the protecting made of majeftic Live Oaks, glo- 
rious Magnolias, and the fragrant Orange, open to 
the view of the great river and ftill waters of the 
lagoon juft before us. 
At the cool eve's approach, the fweet enchanting 
melody 
4 
