540 THE ANT-LION. 
stages of existence, and when the insect is about to make its final change, 
the undeveloped wings become visible on the back. When its time has 
come, the pupa leaves the water and crawls up the stem of some aquatic 
plant until it has reached a suitable 
elevation ; it clings firmly with its 
claws, and remains apparently 
quiet. On approaching it, how- 
ever, a violent internal agitation is 
perceptible, and presently the skin 
of the back splits along the middle, 
and the Dragon-fly protrudes its 
head and part of the thorax. By 
degrees it withdraws itself from 
the empty skin, and sits for a 
few hours drying itself, and shak- 
ing out the innumerable folds into 
which the wide gauzy wings have 
been gathered. After a series of 
deep respirations of the unwonted 
air, and much waving of the 
, wings, the glittering membranes 
a = gain strength and elasticity, and 
r ; the enfranchised insect launches 
BEMOISEL ER: —(Cacpieys splendeits.) forth into the air in search of prey 
and a mate. 
There are very many species of Dragon-flies, all very similar in their 
habits, being fiercely predaceous, strong of wing, and gifted with glittering 
colours. Unfortunately, the rich azure, deep green, soft carnation, or fiery 
scarlet of these insects fade with their life, and in a fev hours after death 
the most brilliant Dragon-fly will have faded to a blackish brown. .The only 
mode of preserving the colours is to remove all the interior of the body and 
to introduce paint of the proper colours. This, however, is but an empirical 
and unsatisfactory sort of proceeding, and, nc matter how skilfully it may 
be achieved, will never be worth the time bestowed upon it. In many species 
the sexes are of different colours, as, for example, in the beautiful 
DEMOISELLE DRAGON-FLIES, where 
the male is deep purple, with dark 
spots on the wings, and the female 
rich green, with the wings uncoloured. 
THE far-famed ANT-LION is one of 
the insects that are more celebrated 
in their preliminary than in the perfect 
stage of existence. As may beseen by 
reference to the illustration, their per- 
fect form is very light and elegant, and 
closely resembling that of the dragon- 
files, save tnat tne wings are lighter, 
softer. and broader. In their larval 
condition, however, they are by no 
means attractive-looking creatures, somewhat resembling flattened maggots 
with rather long legs and very large jaws, the legs being apparently useless 
as organs of progression, all movements being made by means of the 
abdomen. Slow of movement as is this creature, and yet predaceous, feeding 
wholly on living insects, the mode of obtaining its food seems to be rather 
a problem. The solution, however, is simple enough, the creature digging a 
pitfall, and lying ensconced therein while the expected prey approaches. 
ANT-LION. —(M/yrmelog tran:yatus.) 
