The Caddis-fly. 
419 
The Water-fly is alluded to by Shakspeare as denoting 
light-hearted, empty-headed vanity. Hamlet, on Osrics 
entrance, asks of Horatio, “ Dost know this water-fly ? ” 
Muffett writes of the Caddis-fly, the frequenter of 
pools and streams :— 
“ Phryganide comes from the little worm phryganium (which in 
English is called cados worm), living in the waters, and in the month 
of August ascending to the top or superficies of the waters; it hath 
four wings of a brown colour, the body somewhat long, having two 
short horns, the tail forked, or rather bristles coming out of the tail. 
The form or figure of this fly is various, in regard of the great variety 
of those little cados worms whereof they come.” (Page 943.) 
Izaak Walton mentions several kinds of caddis, or 
case-worms, but is ignorant of what sort of flies they turn 
into. His only interest in them, as in almost every other 
living organism, is whether or not they can be used “ to 
bait fish withal.” 
The tipula, called in English the Crane-fly, is thus 
described by Muffett:— 
“ Of these flies are four sorts. The first species hath long shanks 
like a wood spider, the body almost ovall of a whitish ash colour, silver 
wings, black eyes sticking out, with two very short horns, the tail 
pointed or piked. It flies (much like the ostrich) hopping with the 
feet, sometimes it flies in the air but not far nor long. So greedy after 
the light, that it oftentimes is burnt in the candle. In autumn it is 
frequently seen in pastures and meadowes. This of the male kinde. 
The female is almost alike, but somewhat more black, the end of the 
tail as it were bitten off; these are called in English shepherds, in 
Latin opiliones, because they are most often seen where sheep use to 
feed. The second sort of tipula hath a great head, eyes standing out, 
four small horns, the body pleasantly various with the colours yellow 
and black interchangeably mixt. The third is almost like unto this, 
saving that the body being all yellow, is better set out with six or seven 
black spots; both the male and female have a three forked tail. The 
fourth species is very rare and curious, the head and especially the 
mouth forked, the shoulders swelling, the feet shorter, the body twice 
as thick as the rest; the back black, the belly and sides yellow, the 
tail black and picked.” (Page 943.) 
