LETTERS ON ENTOMOLOGY. 29 
He, however, had the tub brought ; and no sooner 
was it set down, than a great number of ephemerae 
came out, and while by torchlight he was enjoy- 
ing the sight, the threatened storm burst forth, 
and forced him to re-enter the house, after having 
thrown a cloth over the tub. When the rain 
ceased, he returned to the garden about nine 
o'clock, where a magnificent spectacle awaited 
him. Attracted by the exclamations of his gar- 
dener, he descended to the river. The quantity 
of ephemerae which filled the air above the river 
was inconceivably great, I»ul principally round 
the spot where he stood. In a few minutes the 
step on which he stood was covered with them 
to the depth of two, three, and four inches, and 
five or six feet of water was quite hidden by 
them; and being carried down by the current, 
they were quickly replaced. He was often 
obliged to retreat from this pelting rain of in- 
sects, which we may easily imagine to be ex- 
tremely disagreeable, as they got into his eyes, 
nose, and mouth. 
He remarks on the singularity of the great 
attraction of light to insects which are born to 
live only in darkness. The ephemerae instantly 
gathered round and covered those who held the 
flambeaux, which then showed quite a different 
