Dragon-flies and Damsel-flies 83 



tip of the abdomen; or another kind may be seen to swoop swiftly down to 

 the surface occasionally in its back-and-forth flight, and to dip the tip of 



FIG. 1146. 



Stages in the development of the giant dragon-fly, Anax junius. a, youngest stage; b, 

 c, and d, older stages, showing gradual development of the wings. (Young stage, 

 slightly enlarged after Needham; adult three-fourths natural size.) 



the body for a moment into the water. These are females engaged in laying 

 their eggs. The eggs issue in small masses, usually held together by a gelat- 

 inous substance. From several hundred to several thousand eggs are laid by 



