male has a brownish red crown or cap on his head. The female is also crowned, but her cap is too small to be easily seen. It is in season from the latter end of April until the middle of June, and is on the water chiefly on cold days; influenced by weather in a manner similar to the Blue Dun. (See No. 2.) IMITATION. BODY. Blue fur from a mole. Reddish brown floss silk may be tied on for the head. TAIL. A whisk or two out of a yellow dun hackle. WINGS. From a feather of the under-side of the cormorant's wing; or, in default thereof, a feather from the breast of the water hen, the tip of which must be used. Or the upper end of the wing feather of a tomtit when in full plumage. LEGS. A very small yellow dun hackle. Hook, No. 0, short. It is difficult to find a hackle feather of the tint proper to make this fly buzz. REMARKS. A feather from the Merlin hawk's wing may be used, if procurable, to wing this fly. (Arundo, p. 29.) No. 17. THE JENNY SPINNER. This is the name given to the Iron Blue (No. 16.) in his new dress, and it lives four or five days after the metamorphosis, sporting in the still summer atmosphere. The Iron Blue must be coming out of its nympha at the same time that this fly is in season: the Iron Blue is, however, found on the water chiefly on cold days, from the end of April until the middle of June.* The Jenny Spinner lasts all the summer, is out on mild days, particularly towards the evening, and is a killing fly even when the water is extremely fine. IMITATION. BODY. White floss silk wound round the shank of the hook, &c. and tied on at the head and tail with brown silk, which must be shown. TAIL. A whisk or two of a light dun hackle. WINGS AND LEGS are best imitated by making them buzz; for which purpose the lightest dun hackle that can be procured should be used. Hook, No. 0., short. * A little dark dun with a brown head, not exactly similar to, but very much like the Iron Blue, is found in August, and then a Spinner like the Jenny Spinner has an orange-coloured head, and the extremity of its body a lighter colour. There is also upon some waters a rather smaller ephemeral fly, similar in colour to the Jenny Spinner, whose metamorphosis does not change much, in tint, from the original. It is to be found in some seasons, upon the Blithe, in Staffordshire; but upon lake Tal-y-llyr, in North Wales, this insect is so numerous, on warm evenings, as to form clouds, settling upon the dress of a person No. 18. THE HAWTHORN FLY. This fly may be seen about the last week in April, when the air is warm, sporting up and down by the sides of hedges, and may then be used. There are three very common species, one of the size represented, another much larger, and another much smaller. The female of each has dark wings, and opaque; whereas those of the male are black, but transparent. Her head is very much smaller than that of the male, and her body thicker. The male is most abundant. The figure (18.) represents him. IMITATION. BODY. Black ostrich herl. WINGS. A feather of the starling's wing. LEGS. A black cock's hackle; or one of the two largest feathers from a peawit's top-knot. Hook, No. 2. or 3., long. The fly cannot very easily be made buzz, unless the female is imitated, in which case a black hackle, wound over the above mentioned black ostrich herl, will answer the purpose; and the fly so made is sometimes called the Black Palmer, or Black Caterpillar. passing by the lake (or upon any other object), where, in five or ten minutes, it changes its coat, leaving the old one upon the dress, &c., which, if of a dark colour, becomes spangled with seemingly white spots. The tail increases to quite four times its original length when this change takes place. No. 19. LITTLE YELLOW MAY DUN. (SILK FLY.) Order, Neuroptera Family, Ephemerida Genus, Cloëon Species, striata (Pseudimago). No. 20. BLACK GNAT. (BLACK MIDGE.) Order, Diptera Family, Empida Genus, Rhamphomyia Species, Aethiops. No. 21. OAK FLY. (DOWNHILL FLY, ASH FLY, CAN NON FLY, DOWNLOOKER, WOODCOCK FLY.) Order, Diptera Family, Rhagionida Genus, Leptis Species, scolopacea. |