356 TRANSFORMATIONS OF INSECTS. 



length, and they are beautifully reticulated by interlacing ner- 

 vures ; they have a large head and great eyes, and small antennae. 

 They have a quick sight, and fly with great rapidity, backwards, 

 forwards, sideways, upwards, and downwards, and without turning; 

 their mouth is strengthened to the utmost ; their jaws are strong, 

 and end in sharp points. The mandibles are provided with 

 keen teeth, and the lower lip is very large, and its palps are 

 short and thick. Thus armed, they chase and pull down every 

 fly, moth, or butterfly which they come across. They rend these 

 delicate creatures, and eat them ; but frequently they appear to 

 kill for killing's sake. These Nciiroptci'a, especially the males, 

 have a curious pincer at the extremity of the body. The lady 

 dragon flies are as sanguinary as the males, from whom they 

 do not appear to receive the most polite treatment; and the 

 courtship is a scene of general bad behaviour and violence. 

 They all undergo incomplete metamorphoses. The eggs are laid 

 upon the water, and the larvae take very kindly to that element. 

 As the larvse grow their body becomes larger, their head flatter, 

 and their eyes wider apart than those of the perfect insect. They 

 are not less bloodthirsty than the adults, but they are very slow 

 in their movements, and they do not appear to have the instinct 

 to hide themselves in order to catch their prey. Nevertheless, 

 they have no difficulty in seizing very active insects which come 

 swimming along, for the larvae and nymphs have a most 

 remarkable weapon in their lower lip. The lip is very long, and 

 has palps formed in the shape of pincers. It is attached to the 

 chin, which is also very long, by a sort of hinge, which allows it to 

 rest against the under part of the body when the insect is quiet. 

 Suppose the larva is looking out for prey; it remains perfectly 

 quiet until some small insect passes by at what might be con- 

 sidered a safe distance, but the victim has not calculated upon the 

 hidden weapon which is suddenly straightened and poked forward, 

 and which clasps the unfortunate with its pincers. The larvae and 

 the nymphs, although they live under water and must respire, have 

 no branchiae or any external organs by which they can breathe. 

 Their method of respiration is unique ; they breathe with their 

 intestines. The large intestine is covered with numerous tracheae, 

 and when the animal wishes to breathe it opens the orifice of 



