CH. IV] 



DRAGONFLIES 



109 



tude; or at times the head and thorax are repeatedly 

 jerked up and allowed to drop back again in rapid succes- 

 sion ; the legs, now strong enough for the purpose, grasp 

 the sides of the empty larval skin, the abdomen is with- 

 drawn from its case by a strong dorsal curvature, and the 

 imago stands free upon the larval husk. 



The freshly emerged imago is colourless and almost 



Fig. 19 (continued). 



C. The whole body extricated. D. The perfect insect, the 



wings having acquired their full dimensions, resting to dry itself, 

 preparatory to the wings being horizontally extended. 



