Transformations of the Dragon Fly. 517 



preserve skins, furs, and feathers from putrefaction and the 

 moth, for nearly twenty years ; still the idea never struck me, 

 till three weeks ago, that it could be so serviceable in pre- 

 venting all tendency to putrefaction in the membrane of the 

 shell, w^hich had given me so much trouble, and caused so 

 many useless experiments. I trust that the kind-hearted 

 naturalist will not turn this little process of preparing eggs into 

 affliction to poor birds. One egg out of each nest (with a few 

 exceptions) will not be missed by the owner ; but to take them 

 all away would be hard indeed. Such an act would make the 

 parent bird as sad and sorrowful as Niobe. You know Niobe's 

 story: Apollo slew her every child. I beg to present this 

 new mode of preparing egg-shells to Mr. Loudon, for his 

 delightful Magazine of Natural History. 



Charles Waterton. 

 Walton Hall, Mai/ 11. 1832. 



P. S. — Since I sent you the instructions for preparing 

 eggs, my friend, George Walker of Killingbeck Lodge, has 

 been here ; and he thinks that copal varnish is better than 

 mastic varnish for eggs. I have made an improvement in 

 blowing larger kinds of eggs. I find that one hole is suffi- 

 cient. When that hole is made, introduce a straight wire, 

 with a little piece of dry cotton or thread well tied round the 

 end introduced. Then, holding the egg with the hole down- 

 wards, you use the wire, which acts as a piston, and forces a 

 sufficient quantity of the contents of the egg out, to enable 

 you to get out the rest by sudden jerks. This is a much 

 longer process than blowing; but you have the advantage of 

 having only one hole in your egg, instead of two. — Charles 

 Waterton, June 12. 1832. 



The figure and description of a pipe for blowing eggs (given in Vol. IV. 

 p. 143.) have possibly not yet met the eye of Mr. Waterton. Will not that 

 instrument be found to increase the despatch and convenience with which 

 the yolk and white of an egg may be di'awn from the shell ? — J. D. 



Art. V. Brief Notices of the Habits and Transformations of the 

 Dragon Fly ; compiled in explanation of the accompanying Cut. 

 By J. D. 



Mr. Newman, in his essay entided Sphinx xespifdrmis, has 

 accorded to the dragon fly family a high degree in the relative 

 scale of insect importance. " Their imperial flight, their 

 enormous size, their richly variegated colours, their despotic 



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