THE DRAGON-FLY. 3 



hedge, and by every running brook ; they some- 

 times settle on the leaves of plants, and some- 

 times keep for hours together on the wing. 



Dragon-flies, though there are three or four 

 different kinds, yet agree in the most striking 

 parts of their history, and one account may serve 

 for all. The largest sort are generally found 

 from two to three inches long ; their tail is fork- 

 ed ; their body divided into eleven rings j their 

 eyes are large, horny, and transparent, divided 

 by a number of intersections ; and their wings, 

 that always lie flat when they are at rest, are of 

 a beautiful glossy transparency, sometimes shin- 

 ing like silver, and sometimes glistening like 

 gold. Within the mouth are to be seen two 

 teeth covered with a beautiful lip : with these 

 the creatures bite fiercely when they are taken ; 

 but their bite is perfectly harmless, as I have ex- 

 perienced more than once. 



These insects, beautiful as they are, are pro- 

 duced from eggs, which are deposited in the 

 water, where they remain for some time without 

 seeming Life or motion. They are ejected by the 

 female into the water in clusters, like a bunch of 

 grapes, where they sink to the bottom by their 

 natural weight, and continue in that state till the 

 young ones find strength enough to break the 

 shell, and to separate from each other. The 

 form in which they first show life is that of a 

 worm with six legs, bearing a strong resemblance 

 to the dragon-fly in its winged state, except that 

 the wings are yet concealed within a sheath pe- 

 culiar to this animal. The rudiments of these 



