56 NEUROPTERA. 



sideways, now hovering hawk-like. Beautiful as are all 

 the forms of the perfect insect, the larvae of some of 

 them are anything but prepossessing in appearance, 

 while they are eminently blood-thirsty in their habits. 

 The larvai and nymphce possess a very remarkable 

 weapon in their lower lip. The lip is very long and fur- 

 nished at the extremity with a pair of pincer-like organs ; 

 it is attached to the chin by a hinge. When the larva 

 is quiet this apparatus rests against the under part of 

 the head, forming a kind of mask. Should some 

 small insect or other larva approach within distance, 

 the mask is suddenly lifted from the face, the hinge 

 opens in the middle so as to allow it to stretch to full 

 length, and the prey is seized by the fangs ; the arm 

 folds up again and conveys the prey to the creature's 

 mouth. 



Very curious, too, is the mode in which this Dragon- 

 fly larva respires. At the extremity of the abdomen 

 there is a sort of tail with five horny pieces, which the 

 larva can open and shut. These pieces cover a valve 

 formed by three membranous plates ; on expanding 

 these pieces the valve is opened, when a quantity of 

 water is admitted into the body ; the water is brought 

 in contact with a peculiar apparatus which communicates 

 with the tracheae, and serves for respiration ; it is then 

 forcibly discharged through the same orifice, and so 

 great is the violence of the ejected stream that the 

 creature is itself shot forward to a considerable distance. 

 When the nympha is ready to undergo its trans- 

 formation, it creeps up the stem of some water ])lant 

 and rests there for a time ; then the skin splits and the 

 creature leaving the world of water appears as a perfect 



