THE DRAGON FLY. 201 



be it insect or larva, if they can hold it with their man- 

 dibles, they do not quit it, till it be drained of all its 

 juices. They are even said to commit havoc for its 

 own sake, and kill when they have no intention of eating. 

 This can hardly be supposed, because there is no pur- 

 pose in it, and there is a purpose for every instinct ; 

 but still they may kill without the necessity of imme- 

 diate eating. Many animals hoard up food ; and, when 

 a fox or a vicious dog kills a number of sheep, he does 

 it not from* any hatred to sheep, but that he may have 

 a store of food. Now there is no reason why a voracious 

 larva should not obey, in the water, the same kind of 

 instinct which a voracious quadruped obeys upon the 

 land. The larva is, no doubt, a much smaller animal 

 than the other, and we are much less acquainted with its 

 habits ; but it does not thence follow that its instincts 

 are less perfect. Life and instinct have nothing to do 

 with physical extension. 



The dragon fly is understood to inhabit the water for 

 about two years, during which time it continues to feed 

 voraciously, and to change by slow degrees from the 

 first larva to the ultimate fly. Sometime before this 

 takes place, the rudiments of the wings are discernible 

 under the covering or sheath of the animal, and the 

 thorax has increased considerably in size. When it is 

 to change to a fly, it creeps up the stem of some water 

 plant during the night, that it may not fall a victim to 

 the swallow or any other insectiverous bird, that preys 

 on the surface of the water. In order to -extricate 

 itself, it collects the whole energy of its body into the 

 head and thorax, and by grasping the stem on which it 

 hangs with its claws, and making an effort, apparently 



