142 DRAGON FLIES VS. MOSQUITOES. 



whose lives are spent in serving man, should be largely 

 under the ban of human prejudice. The dragon fly is 

 dreaded ; the spider is hated ; and yet they are Nature's 

 checks upon the mosquito and other insects that otherwise 

 would make our earth well nigh uninhabitable. 



Is it practicable so to develop the dragon fly and spider 

 that their special gifts from Nature can be further used in 

 the service of man by directing them especially against 

 the mosquito? The first step in the practical consider- 

 ation of such a question, of course, is that human preju- 

 dice should be set aside and these two animals recognized 

 in their true relations to the insect world. 



Dr. Lamborn's circular concerning the propagation of 

 the dragon fly, which has evoked this inquiry, will doubt- 

 less call forth a great deal of valuable information from 

 entomologists better equipped for treating the subject than 

 myself. But a few words on this point may not be out 

 of place. " AVhat is a dragon fly ? " asked an intelligent 

 city gentleman who had read Dr. Lamborn's note. I at- 

 tempted to explain, and, indeed, took the pains to show 

 him a figure of the insect. " Oh ! " was the exclamation, 

 " that's a devil's darning needle ! " Yes ; and the name 

 is expressive of the attitude of English speaking people 

 towards this serviceable insect. I have read of a school — 

 if memory serves me truly, it was situate in that highly 

 developed centre of American civilization, New York 

 City — whose session was broken up by the advent of 

 an innocent dragon fly through an open window. An 

 alarm raised by one scholar passed through the entire 

 room : " A devil's darning needle ! A devil's darning 

 needle ! " The ominous phrase, piped in the shrill 

 quaver of terrified childhood, alarmed the teacher, and 



