246 NATURE’S CRAFTSMEN 
found in New York State, while but fifty speci¬ 
mens have been counted in California. Dragon¬ 
flies cannot stand an arid climate. Their favor¬ 
ite haunts are in the vicinity of ponds and small 
streams, but on bright sunny days they may ven¬ 
ture far over the meadows in search of prey. 
Because of the striking beauty of their wings, 
which do not take on their color for several hours 
and sometimes even days after hatching, dragon¬ 
flies offer especial interest to collectors. Two 
distinct types of dragon-flies are recognized: the 
Zygoptera , whose wings in repose are held up¬ 
right; and the Anisoptera, whose wings are held 
horizontal. To the former belong the pretty lit¬ 
tle slender-bodied species called the damsel-flies, 
whose wings show such brilliant spots of color. 
Besides the common blue damsel-flies, other fa- 
milar kinds are the red-spotted, the black-winged, 
and the green-bodied damsels. It is in the 
Zygoptera clan that the greatest range of size is 
found, the smallest having abdomens only about 
half an inch in length, while the largest has an 
abdomen of about four inches. Usually both 
males and females are marked alike; the excep¬ 
tion is that of the amber-wing dragon-fly, the 
males having wings of clear amber-yellow, while 
the females have plain wings splashed with 
irregular amber bands. 
“ Some of the dragon-fly females carry sharp 
