CH. XII.] THE DRAGON-FLY. 217 



of remaining tarnished and opaque, they suddenly- 

 become transparent, and brilliant. This change is 

 owing to the visual organ of the perfect insect, which 

 is amazingly lustrous, shining through the mask of 

 the nymph. If the eye of the nymph be removed, 

 that of the perfect insect may be seen beneath. As 

 soon as the nymph has fixed itself to any object by 

 means of its claws, the first sign of the commencing 

 metamorphosis is a rent in the upper skin, extend- 

 ing along the corslet to the head. When it ap- 

 proaches this latter part, another rent, perpendicular 

 to the first, runs across the face from eye to eye. 



I.— T 



