1. THE LIFE OF A DRAGONFLY 
The big green darner, Anax junius (see frontispiece), is one of our 
commonest and most widely distributed dragonflies. It is one of the 
earliest to appear in the spring and one of the last to disappear before 
the oncoming of the rigors of winter. It sweeps around the lake or 
pond of its nativity in great circles high above the water, spending 
in good weather practically all its daylight hours in tireless flight. 
Often it wanders far, over some country road or upland meadow, when 
the air of a summer afternoon is filled with flying insects. Its strongly 
braced and well balanced body, equipped with powerful muscles for 
operating its great wings is a perfect aeronautic machine, capable of 
swift, sustained and certain flight. 
The warmer the day, the more untiring is its activity. When rain 
comes, it takes to shelter, usually suspending itself by its feet from 
the underside of a twig or leaf. After a storm it may sometimes be 
found clinging to a tree or house, buffeted by the elements, drenched 
and bedraggled, and for the time being, quite helpless. 
It gets out early in the morning. It flies late at night and may be 
seen industriously gathering the early mosquito long after most other 
day-loving insects have gone to rest. 
It is a handsomely colored insect. Its robust olive-green body has 
neat trimmings of blue and brown. Its gauzy wings gleam and scin- 
tillate in the sunlight. When it does stop to rest, it perches lightly on 
the top of a bush or twig on its six long, spiny, reddish legs, in an 
attitude of great alertness. It is easy to find, but not easy to capture, 
either perching or flying. The collector always knows when his stroke 
has been successful by the loud protesting rustle of its wings within 
the net. 
The adult life of a dragonfly is short, perhaps a few weeks in dura- 
tion. Growth having been completed it is mainly concerned with 
reproduction. Mating begins while the insects are on the wing. It is 
preceded by a wild nuptial flight, and is followed by the laying of eggs. 
The female Anax possesses an ovipositor. This instrument is adapted 
for cutting holes in the stems of aquatic plants. During the height of 
the season the eggs are usually laid in the stems of growing plants. 
Early in the spring they are deposited in masses of floating trash and © 
in pieces of dead cat-tail leaves. Sometimes the male accompanies 
the female when she flies to the pond to deposit her eggs; sometimes 
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