YOUNG DRAGON-FLIES. 105 



posed of their shelly tubes alone, in central France- 

 These are of miocene age. 



The young- of the dragon-flies do not assume a 

 quiescent attitude when they pass into the pupa stage. 

 On the contrary, they are more active and voracious 

 than ever. Any old pond or tarn will yield these 

 insects, and they may afterwards be watched going 

 through those evolutions which eventually end in the 

 insect leaving the water and climbing up some water 

 plant so that it can shake off its old clothes, and enter 

 upon a winged existence. Perhaps, when living in 

 the water, the larvae of the dragon-fly are never more 



Fig. 53- 



Larvse of Dyticns. 



actively engaged than when chasing the water fleas 

 (Daphnia). The larva of the Dyticus is still more 

 ravenous, and is so courageous and fierce, that it has 

 earned the popular name of the " water devil." It 

 will attack sticklebacks, minnows, the larvae of dragon- 

 flies and water scorpions ; whilst the poor tadpoles 

 are sacrificed by scores to its hungry maw. Nay, 

 so fearfully are they afflicted with the sensation of 

 hunger that they will fall on each other, if nothing 



