DRAGON-FLIES. 103 



the birds in the presence of the more attractive 

 food. 



Presently I saw a dear reddish-brown ichneu- 

 mon, with a black tip to his tail not the banded 

 species creep slowly into the narrow path where 

 the ants were most plentiful, and after looking 

 cautiously around, begin to eat those on the 

 ground whose wings had fallen off as fast as he 

 could swallow them. He saw me, but evidently 

 thought I was a harmless individual, for he came 

 and ate within eight feet of me, and only looked 

 up occasionally with his sharp little eyes to make 

 quite sure I still was to be trusted. I often see 

 these little fellows trotting about the wood and 

 crossing the wide road, but never had one so 

 near to me before. 



The dragon-flies were particularly numerous 

 that day, and as I entered the wood I had ob- 

 served the curious way they were resting under 

 the branches of trees in rows, their bodies hang- 

 ing straight down and their wings outspread. 

 They were hanging as close as they could pack 

 together, and as a great many of their bodies 



