WEALTH OF INSECT LIFE 



175 



to the fullness of that water 

 stage, it ascends some reed dur- 

 ing the night, and about dawn its 

 back breaks open and out creeps 

 slowly and apparently painfully 

 the dragon-fly, perfect in form 

 but limp and colorless. The 

 bright sunlight, already appear- 

 ing, soon hardens its skeleton 

 structure and brings out the 

 characteristic colors of the par- 

 ent insect which dropped the 

 egg in the pond. 



Mallophaga. 1 Bird-lice have, 

 by reason of their parasitic hab- 

 its existing through a long pe- 

 riod, become so highly special- 

 ized as to have little in common with other members 

 of the group. Bird-lice must not be confused with 

 true lice. The former have biting mouth-parts, the latter 

 haustellate. The word Mallophaga is 

 derived from two Greek 

 words, meaning, to eat 

 wool. These insects 

 have incomplete meta- 

 morphoses, are wing- 

 less, and as external par- 

 asites feed upon the 

 feathers, hair or skin 

 of the host. Thev are 



i/ 



to be found upon both 

 birds and mammals. 



FIG. 139. Side and top view 

 of head of nymph of dragon-fly, 

 showing scoop-shaped jointed 

 appendage of lower lip, with 

 pinchers at end. With this the 

 nymph catches "wigglers" and 

 other prey. 



FIG. 140. Skin 

 of nymph from 

 which dragon-fly 

 has emerged. 



FIG. 141. A bird- 

 louse (Eurymetopus 

 taurus.) This form 

 lives among the 

 feathers of the al" 

 batross. 



