46 



^'ATUEE STUDY 



To its peculiar appearance is doubtless due the popular 

 name of devil's darning needle, and the popular supersti- 

 tion, that the chief reason for its existence is to sew up 

 the lips and ears of naughty children. 



Because of the nature of their food, they are always 

 found near water, where, indeed, the young dragon flies live 

 an active existence for a long time before becoming adults. 



Life history of the Dragon Fly. I. Larva with the mask extended. 

 ingofthe pupal skin. HI. Adult. 



II. Moult- 



The eggs, dropped into the water by the mother, hatch 

 out into wingless larvae with a huge lower lip, which, 

 when the insect is at rest, folds over the other mouth 

 parts. It is capable of great and sudden extension and 

 armed with a pair of pincers. The larva is so voracious 

 that it is often called the water tiger. 



When about to change to the adult form, the nymph, 

 which is very like the larva and produced from it by moult- 

 ing, climbs OAit of the water with the aid of a plant ; the 



