380 FEAGMENTS. 



ALL creatures which feed upon flying insects, such as 

 the swallow, the bat, &c., must follow and dart at their 

 prey ; and this circumstance gives an uncertain irregular 

 cast to their own flight. There is no more curious 

 example of these evolutions than the large greenish brown 

 autumnal dragon-fly. This fierce dragon generally appears 

 in July, and remains till the winter sets in. It has 

 a beat of its own, which it plies most regularly, and its 

 rapid darts are more like a bird of prey than an insect. 

 You see one, perhaps, at a distance ; he is close to you in 

 an instant ; at two more of his aerial bounds, he clears 

 the adjacent plane-tree, teeming with insects; down the 

 opposite side, round your head again, and all the while 

 seizing gnats in his iron pincers like magic. I once 

 caught in my hat one of these Gorgons, which gave me 

 the opportunity from its being hampered with some load. 

 To my surprise the booty was a middle-sized butterfly, 

 firmly held in its forceps, and most unwillingly released. 

 The head of the poor victim was nearly separated 

 from its body. A most daring interference with the 

 pastime of a quiet angler, staying at my house, was 

 attempted by this insect last summer. He got hold of a 

 trout in Cladich Burn, and, by too brisk a tug, jerked 

 the baited hook out of its mouth, and over his shoulder. 

 The dragon pounced down, seized the worm, and was 

 actually whirled round his head, and nearly into the 

 water, ere it relinquished its grasp. These autumn 

 dragons are very numerous upon and about my moor 

 on Loch-Awe-side, and no doubt do good service by 



