tlie face when at rest, anil to be suddenly thrown 
forwards to a considerable extent when in action. 
After having remained about two years in this state, 
the animal ascends the stem of some water-plant, 
and sitting some time in the sunshine, gives birth 
to the insect in its perfect or ultimate form, which 
gradually disengages itself from the skin of the 
chrysalis, leaving it in its former appearance on the 
stem. At the period of its first exclusion, the 
wings, which are then very weak and tender, are 
complicated into a very short compass ; but in about 
the space of half an hour they become expanded to 
their full dimensions, and the animal at once com¬ 
mences an inhabitant of the air, and would be as 
effectually destroyed by a continued submersion 
under water, as the larva would before have been by 
exposure to the air. 
The Libellulre in their complete state prey on the 
smaller insects, and are remarkable for the vigour 
and celerity of their flight. They also exhibit with 
greater clearness, and on a larger scale than any 
other insects, the wonderful structure of the eye, the 
cornea or exterior coat of which is composed of many 
thousands of hexagonal, double-convex lenses or 
segments. 
The species here represented is one of the largest 
of the European Libellulae, and is very common in 
our own country. It has been so elegantly and ac¬ 
curately exhibited by Roesel in his Insecten Belus- 
tigiing that it would be in vain to attempt a more 
expressive representation ; for which reason the fi¬ 
gures on the present plate are copied from that ex¬ 
cellent publication. 
