280 NATURE SKETCHES IN TEMPERATE AMERICA 



be quick, for while making up his mind to accept the challenge 

 with the net, the opportunity is past, and perhaps the brilliant 

 sunlight has temporarily blurred his vision. 



Nowhere do we find brighter coloring than among these 

 graceful pond frequenters. Here is presented a green-bodied 

 species with transparent wings, while a moment later another 

 comes with its body bathed in vivid carmine. Contrasts 

 in the color pattern occur which show a representative with 

 blue body and emerald eyes. In the torrid summer heat one 

 may not be surprised to see a suggestion of winter by a coating 

 resembling white frost on the body and wings of Libellula 

 pulchella, one of our commonest species. This insect is, more- 

 over, exquisitely dressed in bluish drab, with two splashes of 

 yellow on the sides of the dark thorax, besides having three 

 broad smoky blotches on the transparent wings. In this 

 assemblage, low among the Sagittaria, the paired damsel 

 flies, Lestes, are stealing lightly about, the female forming a 

 grace'ful arch as she adroitly places her numerous eggs, one at 

 a time, in the plant stems. 



The curious empty dragon-flies' nymphs, with their vacant 

 stare, are seen grasping the iris and water dock close by. A 

 hollow mockery are the gaping skins, for sometimes, until 

 one has examined them carefully, the secret of the escape 

 of their occupants into the new winged realm of life is not 

 divulged. 



Skirting the margin of the pond, the white blossoms of the 

 water hemlock are found attracting the nine-spotted ladybird 

 beetles. This is the opportunity to becorile familiar with these 

 insects, for they are so industriously engaged delving in the 

 sweets that they have scarcely moved. Yet a false footstep 

 would cause them to drop to the wet ground for concealment. 

 How delicate the lace-like flower clusters lie in their broad 

 stretches, touched here and there with small hemispherical 

 red beetles! One must stand some distance away to see 

 this aesthetic floral display at its fullest beauty. This plant 

 is also known as the spotted cowbane and is very poisonous 

 to the taste. Across the pond a dull crimson pink color enlivens 

 the perspective, and as one approaches the spot the individ- 

 ual flowers of the swamp milkweed delight the senses. The 



