DREDGING NOTES. 1 



Such a sight gives one an idea of the multitudes 

 of little tragedies that are enacted below the sur- 

 faces of ponds by these ferocious-looking larvae 

 and their victims. 



But vengeance frequently overtakes the mur- 

 derers. When the time draws nigh for moulting 

 the skin and appearing with wings, then is the 

 critical period of dragon-fly life. I recollect one 

 wretch of a larva, that had spent his water-life as 

 a blood-thirsty tyrant over the smaller creatures ; 

 but when the time arrived for moulting, he did 

 not bravely crawl up a stick out of the water, and, 

 seizing the end of the stick with his six legs, pro- 

 ceed to make an opening in the upper part of his 

 back, and come out of that improvised door, after 

 the common manner of dragon-flies. He seemed 

 to be in a very excited frame of mind, climbed 

 the stick, tumbled off on the floor, and crawled 

 vigorously around in all directions, evidently in 

 great trouble. At last, after half a day or more 

 of such excited actions, he did manage to break a 

 way through his casement and come forth ; but, 

 alas, he was never able to straighten out more 

 than one of his four wings. The others remained 

 immature, or wrapped around his body, and all 

 his efforts were unavailing. He died in the 

 struggle, and the ants were his undertakers. 



None of the smaller dragon-fly larvae of the 

 Agrionidce, that I have ever seen make their en- 

 trance into the air-world, have had such trouble 



