erging, colourless wings, marked with
irregular brown spots. Why, there must be thousands of dead flies
covering these eggs. What an odd idea! Presently up comes Mr. Collins
from the farm near the bank of the stream. "Oh, sir, I know those
flies quite well; they are oak-flies (_Leptis scolopacea_)." Certainly
not, I replied, though they do somewhat resemble them in colour and
appearance; but the farmer stoutly asserted he was right, and I did
not think it worth while discussing the matter further with him. Mr.
Collins is a good fly-fisherman; and fly-fishermen, unless they are
naturalists, are generally very positive. How often have I tried to
teach anglers that the May-fly does not come from a caddis worm; how
often have I failed! Well, the two-winged fly I have just found in
such thousands, with their dead bodies brooding over this mass of
eggs, is known to entomologists by the name of _Atherix Ibis_; the
females are gregarious, and, as we have seen, attach their eggs to
rails, boughs, or other objects overhanging streams; each female,
having laid her eggs, remains there and dies; shortly after comes
another and does the same, and so on till immense clusters are formed.
The larva, when hatched, falls into the water, its future residence;
it is said to have a forked tail about one third the length of its
body, and to "have the power of raising itself in the water by an
incessant undulating motion in a vertical plane." I am not, however,
acquainted with either larva or pupa, but hope to become so this
summer. "It is very curious, papa," said Jack, "that the flies, after
they have laid their eggs, should die there; why do not they fly away?
Do any other animals do the same?" Yes, pretty much so. Some of the
female insects of the genus called _Coccus_, scale insect, or mealy
bug, common on the stems of various trees, to which they sometimes do
incredible mischief, lay their eggs and die over them, the dead bodies
of the parents forming coverings for the young. See how fast the green
drake is appearing. Notice how it flies with head erect for a second
or two, and then falls almost helplessly on the surface of the water.

There! did you see that fish rise at him? He has escaped the hungry
trout, and has reached a blade of grass, where he will probably rest
for some hours. But give me my rod; perhaps the same trout will rise
at my artificial fly. There! that throw was exactly over the spot. No;
he won't have it. I'll try aga