190 



NATURE-STUDY 



dragon-flies are beautifully colored. Their eyes are finely 

 iridescent, their wings mottled with blue, green, black, or 



Ijj brown spots and the abdomen simi- 

 u larly colored. The mouth of the 

 adult dragon-fly is somewhat similar 

 to that of the locust, and is adapted 

 for biting and chewing, the mandibles 

 being especially powerful. 



The dragon-fly is useful in devour- 

 ing flies, mosquitoes, etc., and, in 

 spite of popular prejudice, is perfectly 

 harmless, without poison and sting. 



The development of the young 

 dragon-fly is very interesting. The 

 female dragon-fly lays her eggs on 

 the water of pools and ponds, where 

 they hatch into rather hideous young, 

 very different from the pretty gauzy- 

 winged adult. The young dragon- 

 fly is a heavy, flattened creature, brown 

 or gray, looking much like the mud 

 in which it lives. It has a large head, 

 large eyes, and an enormous underlip 

 that can be thrust forward to grasp 

 its prey. There are two pairs of 

 from'Nymphcase.' wings Not wing-pads upon the back. This ugly 



Yet Inflated. Below, a Nymph. creature h RO doubt ironically 



(After Shipley and McBride and * ' 



Packard.) Deen called the "nymph." The 



nymphs may be found by dragging a dip-net along the 

 muddy bottoms of ponds, and by lifting out and examining 

 submerged leaves, sticks, and stones, to which they often cling. 



FIG. 49. Dragon-fly Emerging 



