132 INSECTS. 



out. Slowly follows the abdomen, bit by bit, and as it 

 emerges, the helpless soft young insect hangs head down- 

 wards from the opening (fig. 44), the exposed portion of 

 abdomen lengthening every minute, until it seems certain 

 that the still imperfect fly must drop into the water and 

 be drowned. This, however, is very far from the fact, 

 no sooner is the insect so far out of the pupa-case that 



Fig. 44. Fig. 45. 



its fall appears inevitable, than with a sudden effort it 

 curves its body forward and upward, firmly grasps the 

 back of the nearly empty pupa-case (fig. 45), draws the 

 end of its tail out, and stands there, clinging to the now 

 empty pupa-case, which still retains its hold upon the 

 reed (fig. 46.) 



It has in this stage a singular appearance. Already 

 the contents of the somewhat broad and flat pupa-case 

 have stretched out into the long and slender abdomen of 

 the perfect Dragonfly. The Dragonfly's head and 

 thorax are there also, differing less in form than the 



