1892.] 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



39 



glossy at first, and their bodies brownish, their colour not being 

 developed until they have been some time on the wing. One 

 day I netted one of Agrions and as it had no bright colours 

 like the others, and the wings were much more glossy, I thought 

 it was a different species, but not having killed it, I found to 

 my astonishment next morning that it had donned the blue 

 markings of Agrion pulchella, and the wings were like those of this 

 species also. Darwin says they do not pair until a week or a fortnight 

 after emerging, and never before the males have assumed their proper 

 masculine colours. In the matter of colour, perhaps, dragon flies can 

 hold their own against all comers. Systematic writers appear to 

 have been struck with their beauty, when they used such terms as 

 Catopterix, pretty wing; Puella, girl; Sponsa, bride; Virgo, virgin. The 

 voracity of the imago is, of course, too well known to need much 

 comment. Dr. Duncan, in his "Transformations of Insects," says 

 that, perhaps, they are the most bloodthirsty things in creation, they 

 select a certain spot over some brook or pond, or by some hedge for 

 their hunting ground ; over 'this not very extensive range they keep 

 flying backwards and forwards, snapping up flies, caddisflies, 

 butterflies, bees, wasps, and even hornets are mentioned. I do not 

 think, however, they have been known to attack other dragon flies, 

 except to drive them away when foraging in their district. They are 

 particularly careful to clean their faces after each meal, removing any 

 particle of skin, &c., from their lips with their forceps, which they 

 clean with their front legs like the fly. They have an advantage over 

 all other insects in being able to fly backwards, forw^ards, upwards, or 

 downwards without turning. When once they get hold of anything 

 with their powerful jaws, they will not readily let go again. One day 

 while I was getting a few ammlatus, with a nephew of mine, I gave 

 him one 10 hold whilst I went after another, assuring him that it 

 would not sting him; presently he cried out "Oh! uncle, it is biting 

 my hand." When I reached him, I found it had bit him, and in 

 trying to pull it off, he had torn off the body, which he held in one 

 hand, whilst the head still held fast to a finger of the other. There 

 are two instances recorded of a battle being fought between a dragon 

 fly [Eschna grandis) and a sparrow, and in both instances the insect 

 was the victor. 



In conclusion, I would like to call attention to a few peculiarities 

 of these insects. They use their intestines in breathing; they 

 capture their prey in the larval state with a folding claw on their lip; 

 they develop their colours after being on the wing some time; there 

 are also marked peculiarities in their mode of pairing. Unfortunately 

 most dragon flies lose their beautiful colour soon after death. In some 



