XLV 

 AN AX IMPERATOR 



"He dried his wings; like gauze they grew. 

 A living flash of light he flew." LORD TENNYSON. 



^T^HE peopling with wild life of Each tree round the lake, with great 



woods and waters formed arti- ceiling of blue and grey above, is 



ficially is to me often a mysterious work, doubled to a detail in a world below 



Flowers, insects, sometimes even fishes, water ; so that if, lying by the lake, 



will appear on the scene though hitherto I wish to study the beauty of form and 



they have been unknown in the dis- colour about the trees or clouds, it 



trict. Make a pond or lake, using can be done without raising the eyes, 



for your water supply only the hidden The floating leaves of the water plants 



springs that make the ground round seem not in the least to interfere with 



about soppy ; even confine your efforts the reflection. All that is needed for 



to catching the moisture in the air by faithful representation of the sky and 



means of straw and clay and a shallow wood here is a glossy smooth surface 



basin scooped out on some common and a bright sun at the back of the 



or among the hills ; and before long watcher. 



Nature will give it forms of life strange When the sun is out, the dragon of 



to the place insect life especially, the wooded lake is on the wing. As 



above water and below. he flies to and fro across the centre of 



There is a shallow artificial pond, a the lake, sometimes settling on the 



few acres in extent, among the pine rhododendron islet in the middle, he 



and birch woods which is good to visit may give one the idea of some diaphan- 



in July. It does not offer the refresh- ous bird, a bird of fairyland. His 



ment of the clear, running stream. It crystalline wings, wafer-thin, flash in 



is half choked now with American the sun, and at fifty, even a hundred 



pond- weed and with native water flora, yards distance, we can get glimpses 



so that the waterfowl can only paddle of the bright blue of his body. This 



about slowly. But, through the shel- splendour is the Emperor of English 



tered nature of the place, the face of dragon- flies, Anax imperator. 



the lake is glassy still ; it mirrors the He looks all sheen and pride ; and, 



woods and the sky to perfection on a for flight, it is as if he enjoyed not so 



bright day. much mastery over the air as com- 



