576 LIBEL 
paffed in its aquatic (fate; the frofls of the clofe of au¬ 
tumn delh'oying the whole race. They are alfo the prey 
of federal forts of birds. It is impoffible not to be (truck 
vvith admiration on contemplating the changes of the li- 
Bellula, which, while an inhabitant of the water, would 
perifh by any long expofure to the air, while the complete 
animal, once efcaped from the pupa, would as effectually 
be deftroyed by fubmerfion under the water, of which', not 
an hour before, it was the legitimate or natural inhabit¬ 
ant. No particular time feems appointed for the meta- 
morphofis of the libellula into its winged ftate; the dif¬ 
ferent fpecies are continually emerging from the water 
from April to Auguft ; for, as the times of copulation 
are various and frequent during the whole fumtner, fo the 
larvae or caterpillars are found of different fizes, according 
to their age. The fmajler kinds, however, generally make 
their appearance before the larged; becaufe, from breed¬ 
ing in (hallow water, they fooner feel the influence of the 
fun on the approach of fpring. 
The manners of thefe inl’efls muff no doubt be greatly 
altered by a change, which not only confers upon them a 
new form, but introduces them into a different element. 
The complete infeCf, in its winged ft:3te, however, (till 
continues to purfue the fame food, and remains in(eCtivo- 
rous. The lepidopterous infefls, the butterflies, and pha- 
Isense, are deltined for the fupport of the larger libellulse j 
they are a part of thofe numerous tribes that are appointed 
toconfine thofe prolific genera within due bounds. Seethe 
article Entomology, vol. vi. p.829 and 838, and the 
Engravings there referred to. There are fifty-fix_ fpecies, 
fcefides many varieties: they are divided and fubdivided 
as follows. 
I. Wings expanded when at rejl. 
tc, Dorfal divifion of the lip very minute . 
t. Libellula quadri-maculata, the four fpotted dragon¬ 
fly. Specific character, a blackifli (pot on the lower wings 
at the bafe, and on each wing in the middle on the fore¬ 
part ; abdomen deprefled, downy. The head is brown, 
and the fore-part above the jaws of a greenifh yellow. 
The thorax is brown, but covered on the upper part with 
grey hairs. The abdomen is broad at top, but decreafes 
downwards, and is terminated by two cylindrical appen¬ 
dices : the colour of it is brown ; above, it is fomewhat 
hairy on the (ides. The four wings are yellow at their 
bafe and along part of' >he exterior edge, befides which 
the inferior ones have, beneath the yellow colour, a fpot 
of very dark brown. But what eafily diftinguiflies this 
fpecies from a!! others, is its having two marginal fpots on 
the outward edge of each vving; one towards the extre¬ 
mity, at the place where the other fpecies have one, and 
a fecond alinoft or. the middle of the outer edge, which 
in that part is (heightened ; both are of a dark brown. 
The fpecies is fcarce in this country; and is (hown on the 
.Plate of Lerntea, See. at fig. 14. 
2. Libellula depreiTa, the fiat dragon-fly : wings ex¬ 
panded when at reft, blackifli at the bafe ; abdomen de¬ 
prefled, yellowifh at the Tides. The body is (hort and 
broad. The male is of a bright (ky-blue, with the Tides 
of the body yellow ; the female of a fine brown or bay, 
with yellow fides alfo. The wings in-both fexes are tranf- 
parent, except at the (houlders, where they are each 
marked by a broad bed or patch of brown with a llripe 
of yellow ; the tips of each wing have alfo a finall oblong- 
fquare black fpot on the outer margin. The larva of this 
fpecies is of a greenifh-brown colour. 
3. Libellula trimaculata, the three-fpotted dragon-fly: 
wings hyaline, with a ferruginous fpot at the bafe and 
band in the middle. Inhabits Carolina. 
4. Libellula bifafeiata, the two-banded dragon-fly: 
wings hyaline, with a brown fpot at the bafe, and two 
bands. Thorax villous brown, with two yellow lines un¬ 
der the wings; abdomen deprefled brown, the fides yel- 
lowifh. Inhabits America. 
5. Libeliulaquadri-punciata,thefour-dotteddragon-fly: 
LULA.' 
wings white; lower-ones black at the bafe with a yellow line ;, 
all with a black dot; abdomen cylindrical. Thorax downy: 
greenifli; front veficular, green ; abdomen greenifh at the 
bafe and blackifli at the tip; all the wings with a black 
dot in the middle at the rib, and a common cblong ftigma 
at the tip. Inhabits America. 
6. Libellula flaveola, the yellow dragon-fly : wings pale 
yellow at the bafe. Wings fometimes without the yellow 
fpot. Inhabits Europe. 
7. Libellula lineata, the lineated dragon-fly: wing# 
white with a yellowifh bafe and black band and tip; ab¬ 
domen yellow with a lateral black line. Head and thorax 
yellow; abdomen comprefled. Inhabits India. 
8. Libellula ftigmatizans, the marked dragon-fly: yel¬ 
lowifh ; wings with a brown fpot, the tip brown with a 
fnowy ftigma. Abdomen with black lines; wings hya¬ 
line. Inhabits New Holland. In the mufeum of (ir Jo- 
feph Banks. 
9. Libellula cculata, the eyed dragon-fly. yellowifh; 
■tipper-wings hyaline at the tip, lower ones at the margin, 
with a fnowy ftigma. Inhabits New Holland; refembles 
the preceding. 
10. Libellula Indica, the Indian dragon-fly: wings va¬ 
ried with yellow and brown ; and white at the tip, lower 
ones with a blue fpot at the bafe. Body green or brown; 
tip of the wings hyaline. Inhabits India. 
11. Libellula rnurcia, the lazy dragon-fly: bronzed; 
wings whitifh fpotted with brown, lower ones yellow at 
the bafe. Inhabits India. 
la. Libellula veficulofa, the veficular dragon-fly : wings 
white; elevated veficular front and thorax yellow, imma¬ 
culate. Abdomen cylindrical, the fegments pale at the 
bale and black at the tip, tail with cylindrical feales. In-, 
habits America; large. 
13. Libellula rubicunda, the red dragon-fly: lower 
wings only blackifh at the bale; body fquare. In one 
fex the back is fpotted with red, in the other with yel¬ 
low. Inhabits Europe. 
14. Libellula vulgatiflima, the very-common dragon¬ 
fly : thorax yellow, with eight black (freaks. Inhabits 
Europe. 
15. Libellula obfeura, the dufky dragon-fly: all the 
wings ferruginous ; body du(ky. Abdomen cylindrical; 
wings with an oblong brown marginal dot. Inhabits 
America ; fize of L. flaveola. 
16. Libellula vulgata, the common dragon-fly; wings 
hyaline, immaculate ; abdomen cylindrical, rufous. Inha¬ 
bits Europe. 
17. Libellula Sibirica, the Siberian dragon-fly : wing© 
hyaline, with a tranfverle broad ferruginous band towards 
the tip ; body reddiih. Inhabits Siberia. 
18. Libellula finuata, the crooked dragon-fly: wings 
flat, longitudinally finuate, and black on the thicker 
margin, with a white ftigma. In the Britilh Mufeum. 
Body bluifh. 
19. Libellula cancellata, the barred dragon-fly i wings 
immaculate at the bafe ; back and (ides of the abdomen 
interrupted by yellow. Inhabits Europe. 
20. Libellula Pedemontana, the Piedmontefe dragon^ 
fly : wings flat, cinereous with a brown band at the tip. 
Small. Body obfeure yellowifh. Inhabits Italy. 
21. Libellula fafeiata, the banded dragon-fly: wings 
flat, brown, witli a white (freak. Inhabits India. 
22. Libellula umbrata, the clouded dragon-fly : wings 
flat, with a brown band. Inhabits South America. 
23. Libellula ferva: wings flat, white, with an oblong 
black fpot at the bale, and band in the middle. Inhabits 
China ; refembles the preceding. Body cylindrical. 
24. Libellula notata : wings flat, with white fpots and 
tip. Inhabits Africa. In the mufeum of fir Jofeph Banks. 
25. Libellula dimidiata: wings flat, and black from ths 
bafe to the middle. Inhabits America. 
26. Libellula equeftris, the liorfe-ftinger: wings half 
black, with a fnowy band in the middle. In the mufeum 
of fir Jofeph Banks. Head brown, with a yellow dorfal 
line; 
