KELLICOTT. 



The pronounced individuality of the Dragonflies 

 has attracted the attention of people to them quite uni- 

 versally and strongly. This is shown by the awakened 

 imagination shown in the many and often strikingly 

 significant popular names. The Germans call them 

 " Wassernjmp/e,"' the Dutch " ScherpstekendevHeg,^^ 

 the French ^'Demoiselle," the Portugese '' Mosca que 

 da grandes picacas," the Italians ''Saetta," the English 

 Dragonflies or Horsestingers, while in our own country 

 we may have not only the English names but others 

 quite as forcible ; for example, "Spindles," "Mosquito- 

 hawks." "Snake-feeders," "Snake-doctors," "Darning- 

 needles," or to be more profane "Devil's darning- 

 needles." These names most happily express the char- 

 acteristics of these veritable dragons of the air and 

 water. It has been said that "some of these names 

 testify to the wide spread, but quite unfounded, belief 

 in the harmfulness of these creatures to man." The 

 writer recalls at least one grown person who truly 

 believed they were harmful. This was a school 

 teacher, who impressed upon him, and others of her 

 charge, that the devil's darning-needles about the "old 

 swimmin' hole" were dangerous, and that they were 

 quite determined to sew up the ears of truants who 

 sought the limpid waters and grass-covered banks of 

 the millrace, rather than the hard and strict ways of 

 the prosy school-room. This is the one "fact" of 

 Natural History he remembers to have been taught 

 him in the "district" school. 



