Dragon-flies and Damsel-flies 83 
tip of the abdomen; or another kind may be seen to swoop swiftly down to 
the surface occasionally in its back-and-forth flight, and to dip the tip of 
Fig. 1146. 
Stages in the development of the giant dragon-fly, Anax junius. a, youngest stage; b, 
c , and d, older stages, showing gradual developme»t-o^£-lha- w-ings. (Young stage, 
slightly enlarged after Needham; adult three-fourths natural size.) 
the body for a moment into the water. These are females engaged in laying 
their eggs. The eggs issue in small masses, usually held together by a gelat¬ 
inous substance. From several hundred to several thousand eggs are laid by 
