10 NEW ZEALAND NEUBOI'TEBA. 



second segment is not well understood, but the insect 

 may be often seen bending its body inwards and upwards, 

 thus bringing the ninth ventral plate into contact with 

 the second. There is, therefore, little doubt that the 

 transference of the seminal fluid is effected during these 

 movements. 



The food of dragon-flies consists of living insects, 

 which they capture on the wing by their own superior 

 powers of flight. The exact mode of capture is not 

 known with absolute certainty, owing to the extreme 

 rapidity of the dragon-fly's movements. It is certain, 

 however, that they capture flying insects, and it seems 

 most probable that this is done by means of the legs. 

 These are inserted so as to be close to the mouth ; they 

 are directed forwards, and are held bent at right angles 

 so as to form a sort of net, and are armed with a beau- 

 tiful system of fine spines ; it is probable that if the 

 dragon-fly pursue an insect on the wing and strike it 

 with the trap formed by its six legs, then these im- 

 mediately come together under the mouth, so that the 

 victim, directly it is captured by the leg trap of its pursuer, 

 finds itself in the jaws of its destroyer. The excessive 

 mobility of the head permits the victim to be instantly 

 secured by the mouth, and the captured fly is turned 

 about by this and the front pair of legs, and is nipped 

 rapidly, so that the wings and drier parts fall off, the 

 more juicy parts of the prey are speedily squeezed into a 

 little ball which is then swallowed or further compressed 

 by the mouth for the extraction of the juices.* 



The wonderfully rapid and perfect flight of the dragon- 

 fly has led Amanst to suggest that its mechanism would 

 form a suitable model for a flying machine to be propelled 

 by electricity. From observations which have been made 

 on European dragon-flies it is considered probable that 

 the life of the perfect insect may endure for several 

 weeks if not months. Single individuals of many of 

 the larger species appear to have a domain as it were 

 of their own. Westwood mentions, for instance, that 

 he has seen what he believed to be the same specimen 

 of a rare dragon-fly hawking daily, for several weeks 

 together, over a small pond. 



The larvae of dragon-flies, or nymphs as they are often 

 termed, are always strictly aquatic in their habits, and 



* Sharp, luc. fit. 415. 



t Rev. Sei. Nat. Montpellier (3), ii., p. 470. 



