A CARNIVOROUS FAMILY. 181 



betake yourself, I say, to any sunny pool, half-fringed with 

 trees, or pleasant river-margin ; go, armed with net and micro- 

 scope, and, having secured a specimen of these terrors of the 

 insect world, where 



" The strong on weak, cunning on simple, prey," 

 devote yourself to its patient examination. 



It is only such an examination that can reveal to us some 

 equally important, but less obvious features of the insect. 

 But to catch a Dragon-fly is not always an easy task ; the 

 Libellulae are very timorous, or else they are suspicious of the 

 prowling naturalist who seeks what he can entrap. Their flight 

 is livelier and swifter than even that of the butterfly : when dis- 

 turbed in their repose, they fly away abruptly, their wings 

 rustling or crackling like a sheet of parchment ; if obstinately 

 pursued, they grow irritated, and in their quick jerking move- 

 ments exhibit all the rage of the Carnivora. 



But can our Libellulae be carnivorous ? Most undoubtedly. 

 To convince yourself of it, you have but to glance at their 

 mouth, which is wholly unlike a butterfly's. What an arsenal 

 of weapons adapted for seizing and crushing a victim ! How 

 strong are those saw-toothed scaly mandibles ! How strong 

 their auxiliaries, the jaws, which terminate in that dentated 

 spring projection, furnished internally with ciliae ! Surely, 

 such instruments testify to their ferocious instincts, and should 

 induce our French neighbours to deny them the graceful name 

 of "les demoiselles." What a libel on tender woman, on 

 man's "ministering angel!" Do but observe them. They 

 do not rest upon the blossom to extract its nectared sweets; 



