XVII] 



BIONOMICS, ETC. 



337 



LOCAL NAMES. 



The commonest epithets for Dragonflies in English-speaking 

 countries are "Horse-stingers," "Mosquito-hawks," "Devil's 

 Darning-needles" and "Snake-doctors." The small Agrionidae 

 are known as "Damsel-flies." In Victoria, the larvae of Hemi- 

 cordulia are called "Mud-eyes" (an excellent description!) and 

 are much sought after as bait for trout and perch. 



FOREIGN NAMES. 



Country Name Country 



France Demoiselle (maiden) Russia 



Libellule Denmark 



Germany Wassernympfe (water-nymph) Holland 



Wasserjungfer (water-maiden) Sweden 



Libelle Japan 



Italy Cevettone 



Saetta (arrow) 



The Name Libellula* 



The origin of this name, selected by Linnaeus as the generic 

 title for what is now the Order Odonata, appears to be somewhat 

 obscure. We find in Littre the following guess : " Etym. On croit 

 que Libellule est un diminutif de libellus (petit livre), et que cette 

 denomination vient de ce que ces insectes tiennent leurs ailes 

 etendues comme les feuillets d'un livre." Littre might have gone 

 farther, and given the etymology as libellulus instead of libellus. 

 For we find the double diminutive libellulus used in Martianus 

 Capella (about 425 A.D.). Hence we have the following derivation 1 : 



Lat. Liber, properly the bark of a tree (and hence "a book"). 



Diminutive Libellus, the inner bark of a tree. 



Double diminutive Libellulus (with same meaning as libellus). 



Generic derivative Libellula Linnaeus, a genus of Dragonflies. 



Professor MacCallum has, however, suggested that Linnaeus 

 used the feminine termination as a diminutive from libella (a 

 balance) on account of the way that these insects poise their 

 wings in flight or at rest. 



1 I have to thank Mr R. H. Bode, M.A., of Sydney Grammar School, for tracking 

 down the etymology of this word. 



T. D.-F. 



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