24 British Dragoiiflics. 



The wings are at this stage extremely deHcate, and if 

 scratched green blood flows from them freely. While they 

 are thus tender, the insect curves the end of its abdo- 

 men backwards to prevent any foreign substance from 

 injuring them. Later on, when the two layers have be- 

 come cemented together, the wings may be damaged to 

 any extent apparently without causing trouble to their 

 owner, except that its power of flight is in consequence 

 to some extent impaired. The elongation of the 

 abdomen takes place chiefly after the wings are fully 

 expanded (Fig. lo). 



When all parts have attained their full size a further 

 rest occurs, the wings in all cases observed being kept 

 adpressed to one another, as in the usual resting 

 position of the Zygopterids : an Anisopterid, however, 

 expands its wings after a time, when the cloudiness has 

 passed away from them. If emergence takes place in 

 the morning, as it often does, the new-born Dragonfly, 

 as soon as the sun is well up in the sky, tempts the air 

 with weak and feeble flight, its wings glistening with a 

 glassy sheen and its bod}' .wanting the gorgeous colours 

 which make a Dragonfly what it is. This period, during 

 which the imiago is said to be iiinnatiirc, is of var}'ing 

 duration. It always lasts at least a day or two, and in 

 some species, especially amongst the Libclliiliiuc, a much 

 longer period elapses before the perfect insect apjjcars in 

 its fullest splendour, till which time there is often a dis- 

 position to move away from the presence of water. But 

 at length the sheen disappears from the wings,^ the full 



* Mr. C. A. Briggs has a specimen of Ortheiriim cancellatum, fioin 

 Wisley, in which the principal nervures of one foie-wiiig are broken. 

 This wing retains the glassy immature condition. Tiie other three wings 



