The Dragon Fly. 423 



which have but two wings. The bee or mosquito hawks 

 are resplendent with metallic hues, wliile 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 larvae live and 

 feed upon other animals. The larvse are peculiar in breath- 

 ing by gills in the I'ectum. The same water that bathes 



Fig. 213. 



these organs and furnishes oxygen, is sent out in a jet, and 

 thus sends the insect darting along. The larvse also possess 

 enormous jaws, which formidable weapons are masked till 

 it is desired to use them, when tlie 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 captui-ing the insects as are the latter in seizing 



