4^0 THE DRAGON FLY. 



ipond with the tranfient nature of their exiftence, and the 

 numerous race thej tranfmit to pollerity. 



The addrelTes of the libellula to his female feem car- 

 ried on in fi rough and intrepid, but efficacious manner. 

 He hovers about on the wing, till the obje£l of his a- 

 mours make her appearance ; he then watches an oppor- 

 tunity of feizing her by the head with thofe pincers with 

 Whicli his tail is armed. It is thus that the ravilher 

 travels through the air, till the female, yielding to fupe- 

 rior ftrength, perhaps to inclination, forms her body into 

 a circle, that terminates at the genitals of the male, and 

 tluis accornpliihes the gi^eat purpofe of nature. It is 

 while ihefe kind of rapes are perpetrating, that the libel- 

 lulae are feen coupled in the air, exhibiting the form of a 

 ring *. 



The female, when pregiiant, retires to the fide of a 

 ditch or pond, when, by the affiftance of a ilick or reed, 

 fhe creeps, or lowers herfelf down, by moving backwards, 

 till the tip of the tail is immerged about half an inch in 

 the water ; fhe is then feen feized with a kind of trem- 

 bling or Ihaking of the body, during which efforts fhe 

 depofits a fingle egg in the water j afterwards flie immerges 

 her tail a fccond and a third time, when the fame opera- 

 tions are performed. The tail is withdrawn from the 

 water, by contracting its annuli ; and by the prelTure of 

 thefe Ji-ion each otiier, the egg is gradually forced from 

 the ovary to the extremity of the tail, from whence it is 

 ultimately feparated, by fhaking that part in the water. 



The eggs thus protioided by the libellula are of a white 

 colour, and oblong form, refembling thofe produced by 

 the vomitoria or common blow-fly. The caterpillar 



which 



* Earbut's Genera Infcitoniija, p. 2to^, 



