330 TRAVELS IN UPPER 



It appears as if all the most charming produc- 

 tions of nature had assembled themselves in the 

 gardens of Rossetta, and there presented to the 

 man capable of appreciating their value, the riches 

 which she does not always scatter around. These 

 delicious spots were then enamelled with little ani- 

 mated and winged bodies, sparkling with the most 

 brilliant purple, sometimes fluttering amidst the 

 branches of the shrubs, and sometimes eclipsing 

 the lustre of the flowers on coming close to them. 

 You behold there a considerable number of a re- 

 markable species of beautiful insects, the elegance 

 of whose appearance, and their attire, have pro- 

 cured for them the name of damsels (dragon-flies # ). 

 The entire body of this sort is of the finest purple ; 

 the wings, orange coloured at the bottom, have a 

 spot of the same colour towards the extremity : a 

 black line, which separates the whole length of the 

 body underneath, still contributes to heighten its 

 purple hue. The length of this insect is eighteen 

 lines; that of the corselet, which is covered with 

 down, also purple-coloured, is four lines and a 

 half, and its breadth two lines and a half; the. 

 win<rs measure one inch and two lines. 



o 



A beautiful species of another genus of insects, 

 less innocent than the dragon-fly, also give lustre 



* Libellula. 



to 



