372 THE WORLD OF ANIMAL LIFE 



metamorphoses which characterize the foregoing order they are 

 rightly separated from it. The Orthoptera embraces many in- 

 teresting and beautiful forms, among which we may mention the 

 dragon-flies as being exceptionally beautiful. Their development 

 is from a small form not unlike the perfect insect. 



THE DRAGON-FLY (Family Odonata) 



The Dragon-fly is one of the very fiercest of all insects. It 

 is a kind of tiger in the insect-world. 



All day long it is seeking for prey. It flies backwards and 

 forwards, backwards and forwards, here, there, and everywhere; 

 and every now and then it seizes some hapless insect and devours 

 it. And immediately after it has finished eating its victim, it flies 

 off in search of another. 



The dragon-fly has large wings, and can overtake almost any 

 other insect. 



A gentleman, wishing to find the true speed of the dragon-fly's 

 flight, caught one of these insects, and put it into a very long 

 greenhouse, in which he had also let loose a swallow. 



The bird very soon caught sight of the dragon-fly, and pursued 

 it backwards and forwards several times. But each time the two 

 passed him, the gentleman noticed that the dragon-fly was at least 

 six feet in front of the swallow. 



The dragon-fly does not always live its active life in the air. 

 For many long months it is only a grub, living in the water, 

 with nothing to show how difi"erent it is afterwards to become. 

 But it is just as fierce and voracious as a grub, and all day long is 

 on the watch for prey. 



Underneath its head the grub has a curious organ called the 

 mask, which is made up of several joints, with a pair of large, 

 strong jaws at the tip. It can unfold this mask when it pleases, 

 and is accustomed to catch its victims with it, hiding away and 

 catching them as they pass, or gliding quietly beneath them, and 

 seizing them with the horny jaws. 



This dragon-fly grub swims in a very remarkable way. A 



