L ife-History. 1 9 



of the animal bciiiL^ colourless. The legs were very 

 long. As they managed to live practicalU' without 

 food for two or three weeks, they must be rather hardy. 

 About December 15, they were placed in a small fish- 

 globe, in which weeds were growing, and amongst which 

 they no doubt found some food. On March 21, 1897 

 {i.e., about five months after the\- were hatched), a few 

 were still living, and the largest was about four or five 

 millimetres in length. It was then \'ery difficult to find 

 them, as the}- closely resembled the mud at the bottom 

 of the fish-globe in which the\- lived. On October i, 



1897 (almost a }-ear after the}^ were born), there was 

 but one survivor, though it is more than probable that a 

 good number of its brethren had entered into its com- 

 position. In length it was now about i6mm. The wing- 

 cases appeared full-grown, and no doubt the summer of 



1898 would ha\e witnessed the consummation of its 

 existence, had it not somewhat unaccountabi}- dis- 

 appeared towards the end of the year. 



How long this imperfect condition (jf Dragonfl)- exist- 

 ence lasts is extremely doubtful. It used to be thought 

 that some of the larger species required three years to 

 reach the final stage. The}' may take as long when the 

 food-supply is scant}% but in all probability it will be 

 found that the majority complete the cycle of existence 

 within the year, even if one or two of the small species, 

 e.g., Eiiallagma cyathigennii and Isehmira elegans ha\'e not 

 a second emergence about September. \\. any rate, in that 

 month the}' are often found — the females especiall}- — with 

 what appears to be the immature colouring, although, of 

 course, it does not follow that they are the offspring 

 of Dragonflies that emerged earlier in the same season. 



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