The Dragon Fly. 423 
which have but two wings. The bee or mosquito hawks 
are resplendent with me'‘allic hues, while the bee killers 
are of sober gray. The mosquito hawks are not inaptly 
named, as they not only prey upon other insects, swooping 
down upon them with the dexterity of a hawk, but their 
graceful gyrations, as they sport in the warm sunshine at 
noon-day, are not unlike those of our graceful-hawks and 
falcons. These insects are found most abundant near water, 
as they lay their eggs in water, where the larve live and 
feed upon other animals. The larve are peculiar in breath- 
ing by gills in the rectum. The same water that bathes 
Fic. 213. 
these organs and furnishes oxygen, is sent out ina jet, and 
thus sends the insect darting along. The larve also possess 
enormous jaws, which formidable weapons are masked till 
it is desired to use them, when the dipper-shaped mask is- 
dropped or unhinged and the terrible jaws open and close 
upon the unsuspecting victim, which has but a brief time 
to bewail its temerity. 
A writer from Georgia, in Gleanings, volume 6, page 
35, states that these destroyers are easily scared away, or 
brought down by boys with whips, who soon become as 
expert in capturing the insects as are the latter in seizing 
