232 MINUTE MARVKLS OF NATURE 



cates its food. If, after capturing" a di-a<4(jn-l]y on 

 the winy-, its mouth is opened and examined with 

 a pocket lens, it is most frequently found to con- 

 tain a mass of small insects, and sometimes half- 

 chewed parts of laroer insects. On recently 



Fig. 155. The face of a dragon-ti\'. 

 (.'onsiderably magnified 



capturing a dragon-fly and butteitly in the net at 

 the same time — possibly the former was chasing 

 the latter — I observed that the butterfly had a 

 large ])iece cut abruptly out from both wings, 

 which were closed logetlier. Immediately after- 

 wards I saw the missing portion rapidly disappear- 

 ing into the mouth of the d'-agon-FI)^ The face 



