44 



HANDBOOK OF ANTS, BEES, ETC. 



and autumn months. In dull weather, however, they usually remain 

 at rest on the leaves of plants and trees, etc.. The eyes of Dragon 

 Flies are most beautiful objects when viewed under the microscope; 

 they are composed of a great number of facets or lenses. In 

 one species of Dragon Fly as many as 10,000 of these facets have 

 been counted in each of its eyes. 



Besides these compound eyes most dragon flies have additional 

 eyes, called Ocelli y which are situated on the top of the head ; 

 they are, however, quite simple. 



It is commonly thought by persons who are not naturalists that 

 dragon flies sting ; such an erroneous idea we take the opportunity 

 to correct. 



The Ornoptera are divided into two principal families. 



Fig. 54. — Libeilula Depressa. 



Family i, LibellulincR. — To this family belong all the great 

 dragon flies, mostly thick-bodied insects. It is sub-divided into 

 four sub-families. 



To the first sub-family, the LibellulidcB^ many common and 

 familiar dragon flies belong. The best known is what is vulgarly 

 called the " Horse-stinger " {Libeilula depressa), an insect about 

 two inches long, with a rather depressed abdomen, which is 

 yellowish-brown, with yellow spots on the sides in the female, and 

 coated with a beautiful violet-blue powder in the male. 



It may be seen almost everywhere, hawking for flies about 

 rivers and ponds, during warm weather. 



The second sub-family, the Cordididce^ contains four British 

 species, of which the beautiful Cordidia metallica is the typical 

 example. 



