FIELD BOOK OF INSECTS. 



hang them in gelatinous strings on aquatic vegetation. 

 Such a string may contain more than 100,000 eggs. 



This species (Plate XII) of the subfamily 



Epicordulia Corduline is called Water-prince. It will 

 pnnceps 



test your skill with the net, as it is a splendid 



flyer and rarely at rest. Adults are to be found from May 

 to midsummer along muddy, reed-grown banks. The 

 young live on the bottom among detritus or on submerged 

 logs. Not being good climbers, the nymphs usually seek a 

 broad supporting surface, even some distance from the 

 water, when they are ready to split down the back and 

 free the adult. The female flies alone when depositing her 

 eggs and makes her dips some distance apart in open water. 



The remainder of the species mentioned here belong to 

 the subfamily Libellulinas. 



The Amber-wing is one of the smallest 



ms nf 



domitia 



of our true dragon-flies and may be easily 



recognized by reference to Plate X. It 

 flies, rather slowly and clumsily, in Alay and June, fre- 

 quently resting, and hiding completely if a cloud but cover 

 the sun. 



Individuals of this genus are common 

 Libellula 



and conspicuous. The young are elongate, 

 tapering, and provided with hairs which collect a conceal- 

 ing covering of silt. L. pulchella (see Plate X) frequents 

 ponds; the females do not have the spaces between the 

 spots so white as do the males. L. semifasciata (Plate 

 XI) appears even before the middle of May, usually about 

 woodland brooks. The basal portions of the wings of L. 

 luctuosa (Plate XII) are brownish or black; the outer 

 portions are clear except that the old males have the 

 middle chalky white and the females have brownish tips. 



This frequenter of ponds and ditches, the 

 White-tail (Plate XI), usually holds its 

 wings slanting forward and downward 

 when at rest. The females and young males have the 



48 



