122 DRAGONFLIES AND OTHERS 



may be distinguished by observing that the 

 upper edges of its wings are black, and that 

 the blue spots at the extremity of the 

 abdomen are unbroken. 



Three specimens must suffice for the more 

 delicate species. They are all found near 

 ditches or ponds, or in damp meadows, 

 and have a much slower flight than those 

 I have been describing. Ischnura elegans 

 (Plate X., Fig. 5) has a black thorax, with 

 blue lines above, yellowish below ; abdomen 

 black, with two blue spots, and yellow below ; 

 and the wings with yellow spots. Enallagma 

 cyathigerum (Plate X., Fig. 6) is blue in the 

 male, greyish green in the female, both 

 spotted with blackish-bronze. It is a very 

 pretty insect. Pyrrhosoma nymphula (Plate 

 X., Fig. 7) is carmine red, with black spots. 

 The female may be recognized from her 

 greater stoutness and blackness. 



I once had an opportunity of watching 

 the business-like manner in which one 

 of these graceful creatures clipped the wings 

 off a fly, which it had captured and intended 

 to devour. As it sat on an alder leaf 

 stripping its prey, the delicate beauty of 



