174 OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CLASS -— IXSECTA 



doctors," etc. (Fig. 114). llic}' have long, slender bodie.s 

 and two pairs of strong, transparent wings of about equal 

 size and \A-ith many longitudinal and cross \'eins. When 

 Hying, they dart swiftl}' back and forth over the water; 

 but when the}' alight, they sit motionless — most spe- 

 cies with outspread 

 wings — on the dry, 

 projecting stems of 

 ]:)lants. They have 

 powerful jaws and 

 great round eyes, 

 and li\-e upon other 

 insects caught «'hile 

 on the wing. Most 

 of their prey they 

 capture and liold 

 with their legs and 

 eat while flying. 



The eggs of dragon 

 flies are either at- 

 tached to the .stems 

 of water jjlants lie- 

 lort- the surface of 

 the water or are laid 

 loosely in the water, 

 or, in some cases, 

 are inserted within 

 the tissues of the plant stems. They hatch into ferocious 

 nymphs with strong jaws and enormous appetites. The 

 nymphs live upon other acjuatic insects, as the larvte of 

 mosquitoes, for example, which they devour greedily when 

 they are to be found. 



Dragon fli<' 



