Rural School Leaflet 



1287 



the dragon flies 

 Anna Botsford Comstock 



The dragon flies are chil- 

 bright day they may be seen 

 over the brooksides and the 

 cloud obscures the sun, they 



There are two general di- 

 which are easily recognized if 

 The true dragon flies extend 

 while they bask in the sun or 

 damsel flies fold their wings 

 resting. The damsel flics also 



dren of the sun. On any 

 darting hither and thither 

 margins of ponds, but, if a 

 disappear as if by magic, 

 visions of the dragon flies, 

 the creatures are seen at rest, 

 both wings, as if in flight, 

 rest in the shadow, but the 

 together over the back when 

 have bodies more brilliantly 



colored than do the dragon flies, and they are more slender and delicate 

 in form. 



It is only during the winged stage that dragon flies and damsel flies are 

 creatures of the sunshine and the air. They lay their eggs in the water, 

 and from these eggs hatch creatures that are real ogres to other creatures 

 that Hve on the bottom of the ponds. These young dragon flies are called 

 nymphs; they are dingy in color, have six legs and no wings, although 

 the wing pads on the back show where the wings are to be. Each one has 

 a lower lip that covers the lower part of the face like a mask, but that can 

 be thrust out far beyond the head to seize some insect not suspecting 

 danger. The dragon fly and the damsel fly nymphs move so slowly and 

 so harmonize with the color of their background that they are always in 

 ambush awaiting their victims. 



The ti*ue dragon fly n^anph has a peculiar method of breathing. There 

 is an enlargement in the rear end of the alimentary canal from which the 

 breathing tubes lead in all directions. The nymph draws water into this 

 cavnty, thus bringing with the water air that is taken into the breathing 

 tubes and purifies the blood. The nymph then expels the water with 

 such force that its body is propelled forward, so that this act serves as a 

 method of swimming as well as of breathing. The damsel fly nymph 



