244 NATURE’S CRAFTSMEN 
glory of the creature was to be its wings, which 
were wrapped about it in sheeny folds. Two 
pairs presently emerged, of nearly equal size, 
with so many veins crisscrossing in every direc¬ 
tion that their surface seemed to be cut up into 
tiny cells. Moist and weak and crumpled they 
were at first, but the hot sunshine soon remedied 
this, and when Uncle John slipped off the screen 
frame which covered the “ nursery,” the little 
creature rose and sailed gracefully away. 
“ Snake-feeder,” ejaculated Max, following its 
course happily. 
“ Devil’s darning needle,” Grandfather af¬ 
firmed, and added slyly: “ If you don’t watch out 
it will sew your ears fast to your head! Least¬ 
wise, that’s what folks used to say when I was a 
boy.” 
“ Daddy Thornton says its business is to feed 
and doctor snakes, especially water snakes,” 
Tommy averred. “ He terms it a snake doctor.” 
“ They call it the flying adder, and the horse 
stinger over seas,” said Uncle John, “ both terms 
being indicative of former superstitions. The 
proper term is dragon-fly, and the little creature 
is in truth as harmless as it is beautiful. 
“Dragon-flies come and go. None of them 
lives to a ripe old age, from twenty-five to forty- 
five days being the average limit. But new ones 
are continually hatching throughout the season, 
