LARVA OR DRAGON-FLY. 117 



is the Water-Scorpion. 1 Stretching out its long lobster-like 

 fore-arms, which are terminated each by a sharp claw, serving 

 the purpose of a hand, it seizes and holds fast its prey, which it 

 then pierces with its sharp beak or proboscis, a pointed hollow 

 weapon, serving the further purpose of sucking the juices of 

 its struggling victim. So thoroughly savage is the nature of 

 this creature, that he would seem to destroy for destroying 

 sake : and it is related by Kirby that one of them, put into a 

 basin with several tadpoles, killed all, and ate none. 



All the aquatic animals above named are insects in the last, 

 or adult stage of their existence ; but the two very remarkable 

 destroyers we shall now describe have yet to put on other and 

 more perfect forms, although their carnivorous capabilities are 

 fully developed. A common inhabitant of ponds, or of the 

 mud at their bottoms, is an ugly-looking animal, with a light 

 brown wingless body, and six legs, having the air and move- 

 ments of a little reptile, more than of an insect. His great 

 projecting eyes, always on the watch for something, eager to 

 devour, have chosen a victim. With cat-like stealth, he 

 crawls towards it. Now he is close upon his prey, and his 

 next movement will surely be to seize and grasp it with the 

 foremost pair of his hairy legs. But what now ? Surely a 

 mask is falling from the caitiff's face ! Yes, a veritable mask, 

 which has hidden, hitherto, both from us, and from his victim, 

 the grimmest half of his grim visage. He has dropped his 

 vizard but not entirely, for it still hangs pendent from his chin. 

 And now, do we see aright ? the mask, as if touched by the 

 wand of Harlequin, assumes another shape ; it has changed 

 into a sort of toothed and jointed trap, which opens, then closes 

 on its prey, an unlucky tiny tadpole, which is brought, 

 wriggling, into convenient reach of the jaws ready to receive 

 him. 



Let us now leave our crawling masked assassin to wallow in 

 mud and murder at the bottom of his pond, and delight our 



1 Nepa cinerea. 



