THE DRAGON OF THE POOL 45 



seize them, and, without pausing in their 

 flight, bite and tear off the wings and legs 

 of their unfortunate victims. 



The Dragon-flies we most often see are the 

 Green Dragon-flies huge fellows, with green 



THE DRAGON OF THE POOL. 



and yellow body and clear, gauzy wings. 

 They fly singly, and each one seems to have 

 its own private hunting-ground, over which 

 it hawks backwards and forwards continually. 

 It will haunt the same pond or lane or meadow 

 for weeks together, and often chooses a par- 

 ticular bush or clump of rushes as " home," 

 coming back to it again and again after each 

 hunting expedition, sometimes even clinging 



