82 ODONATA. 



mandibles (Fig. 40, imt) and giving an innocent ap- 

 pearance to a very carnivorous insect. Fig. 40 repre- 

 sents the lower side of the head with the mask 

 extended. The mandibles {jnd) and first pair of 

 maxillae {jnx^) have been separated, giving a better 

 view of the mouth {in) and tongue (/;z). The shaded 

 portion of the submentum [tibi) is membranous. In 

 some genera, as in ^schna (for figures, see Brehms, 

 Thierleben, p. 519, copied by Standai'd Natural His- 

 toi'v, p. 150), the palpi (a:") are modified into stout 

 hooks ^ which aid in catching and holding the prey. 



The legs are attached to the extreme edge of the 

 thorax, and extend outward so that both the thorax 

 and abdomen have a flat ventral surface. The crea- 

 ture is often found at the bottom of the pond or brook 

 lying closely upon the mud, which it resembles in color. 

 It is also found hugging, back downward, the lower 

 side of leaves and water-plants. It does not hang 

 from objects, like the imago, but hugs them tightly 

 with its legs, while the flat abdomen is applied closely 

 to the leaf like a sucker. 



A dragon-fly pupa, which was kept from the 5th of 

 December till the 9th of May, was not found on the 

 bottom of the aquarium till March 28th, but was always 

 hugging either the lower side of a dead opaque oak 

 leaf, or the stem of a growing water-plant. When 

 placed on the bottom, it was restless till it had fairly 

 established itself again in its favorite position. It evi- 



1 The word Odonata {hlovs, a tooth) was applied to the 

 dragon-flies by Fabricius, on account of the long teeth on the 

 second pair of maxillae. See Packard, Entomology for Beginners, 

 p. 346. 



