278 INSECTS AT HOME. 



'stij^ma' is not only existent on both pairs of win<>[H, ])\i\ it is 

 boldly rbomboidal in shape, the angles sloping inwards. 



It does not look very conspicuous, and this is exactly its 

 character. The Agrions are so slender and delicate that on a 

 bright summer day they scarcely look like insects, but appear 

 more like streaks of coloured light wafted here and there 

 withoiit any settled purpose. The eye soon learns to distin- 

 guish their forms, but there is really something so delightfidly 

 fairy-like about them as they come and go, apparently by 

 magic, that the disillusioning is really matter of regret. They 

 are of rarious colours, among whicli red and blue predominate. 

 The present species is vermilion-red, from which it derives its 

 specific title of minium, and on the thorax are streaks of 

 yellow as Avell as of red. The red colour forms a conspicuous 

 patch on the end of each joint of the abdomen. 



With verv great regret I must leave these beautiful and 

 interesting insects, and proceed to another family, which are 

 not at all beautiful, and, though interesting in their way, 

 cannot be compared in that respect to the Dragon-flies. These 

 are the Raphidiidse, a family of insects formed after a very 

 curious fashion, the prothorax being lengthened into a pro- 

 longed neck, and the head being rather broad and much 

 flattened. The females are furnished with a long and slightly 

 curved ovipositor, consisting of two blades. The wiiigs are of 

 moderate dimensions, and nearly equal in point of size, and 

 they are very strongly veined. 



Owing to the long neck-like prothorax, the insects are able 

 to twist their heads about in various directions, from which 

 habit they have received the popular name of Snake-flies. 

 They are predaceous in their habits, and may mostly be seen on 

 or near the banks of ponds and small streams, where they can 

 find their prey. They are not at all handsome in point of 

 colour, their hues being confined to greyisli-brown, mottled 

 with darker brown or black. One of the largest British species, 

 R'liaphidia ophiopsis, is shown on Woodcut XXVII. 



The larva of this insect is predaceous, feeding upon small 

 insects. It is long and narrow, and even in the larval form 

 shows the elongated prothorax which is so characteristic of the 

 perfect .insect. Mr. Westwood, who had this creature alive, 



