PHILOSOPHY OF LOVE 



they approach, tap each other with forefeet and tentacles, 

 separate, reapproach, recommence. After a thousand 

 salutations, they pose head to head, the male climbs onto 

 the female, stretches out until he reaches the abdomen. 

 Then he lifts the extremity of it, applies his palpe to 

 the vulva, and retires. The same act is begun again 

 several times, the female is all compliance and offers no 

 insult to her companion. There are certain exceptions to 

 the method of spiders; the reapers, little balls mounted 

 on immense legs, act by cavalage. The males have a 

 retractile prong fixed by two ligaments to the abdomen, 

 the female an oviduct which opens in vulva and spreads 

 interiorly into a vast pouch, the resting place for the 

 eggs. The male does not manage this female, a strong 

 objector, save by seizing her mandibles with his pincers. 

 Overcome by this bite she submits; the coupling lasts 

 several seconds. 



The dragon-fly, gracefully called "la demoiselle," is 

 one of the finest insects in the world and certainly the 

 most beautiful of those which fly in our climate; no soft 

 butterfly colour is a match for the moving shimmer of its 

 supple abdomen, and the bright head-colours as of steely- 

 blue helmet. Description? It is difficult to find two 

 alike: one has tawny body and dove-grey abdomen, 

 spotted with yellow, and black feet, transparent wings 

 with brown borders or nerve-veinings, or these in black 

 and white; another has a yellow head, brown eyes, brown 

 corselet veined in green, an abdomen touched with green 

 and yellow, irised wings; another called "la Vierge" is 

 gilded green, or blue with green shimmer, and spotless 

 wings; another "la Jouvencelle" has wings thin to in- 

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