THE DRAGON FLY. 107 



entomoloo;ical Tamerlane or Napoleon sent into the world bj^ a 

 kind Providence to prevent too close a jostling among the myri- 

 ads of insect life. 



We will, then, conquer our repugnance to its ugly looks and 

 savage mien, and contemplate the hideous monstrosity, — as it 

 is useless to deny that it combines the graces of the Hunchback 

 of Notre Dame and Dickens' Quilp, with certain features of its 

 own, — for the good it does in Nature. 



Even among insects, a class replete with forms the very incar- 

 nation of ugliness and the perfection of all that is hideous in 

 nature, our Dragon fly is most conspicuous. Look at its enor- 

 mous head, with its beetling brows, retreating face, and heavy 

 under jaws, — all eyes and teeth, — and hung so loosely on its 

 short, weak neck, sunk beneath its enormous hunchback, — for 

 it is wofuUy round-shouldered, — while its long, thin legs, 

 shrunken as if from disease, are drawn up beneath its breast, 

 and what a hobgoblin it is ! 



Its gleaming wings are, however, beautiful objects. They 

 foi-m a broad expanse of delicate parchment-like membrane 

 drawn over an intricate network of veins. Though the body is 

 i)ulky, it is yet light, and easily sustained by the wiiigs. The 

 long tail undoubtedly acts as a rudder to steady its flight. 



These insects are almost universally dressed in the gaj-est 

 colors. The body is variously banded with rich shades of blue, 

 green, and yellow, and the wings give off the most beautiful 

 iridescent and metallic reflections. 



During July and August the various species of Libellula and 

 its allies most abound. The eggs are attached loosely in bunches 

 to the stems of rushes and other water-plants. In laying them, 

 the Dragon Hy, according to Mr. P. R. Uhler's observations, 

 "alights upon water-plants, and, pushing the end of her body 

 below the surface of the water, glues a bunch of eggs to the 

 submerged stem or leaf. Lil)cllula auripennis I have often 

 seen laying eggs, and I think I was not deceived in my o1)ser- 

 tion that she dropped a bunch of eggs into the open ditch while 

 balancing herself just a little way above the surface of the 

 water. I have, also, seen her settled upon the reeds in brackish 

 water with her abdomen submerged in part, and there attaching 

 a cluster of eggs. I feel pretty sure that L. auripennis does 

 not always deposit the whole of her eggs at one time, as I have 

 seen her attach a cluster of not more than a dozen small yellow 



