166 The: “BO TOA or 
two fharp claws dd at their extremities, and 
are variegated with green, yellow and other 
coloured fpots. In the upper part of the back, 
under the fhoulder-blades, may be feen very 
diftintly four membranous cups, wherein are 
enclofed ee the wings folded into each other; fo 
that it is hard to underftand how or by what 
means fuch ftrong, broad, long and remarka- 
ble wings as the largeft Dragon-Fly has, could 
be contained within fo narrow a compafs. 
But this matter will be eafily underftood by 
any perfon who attentively confiders what a 
large number of leaves lie folded up in the 
globular cup of the double poppy; for the 
wings beforementioned agree very well with 
thofe leaves in the manner of their lying. 
The abdomen is divided at the margin of 
the belly into various fharp and rough divi- 
fions ff, the rings whereof are, ‘where they 
branch out, adorned with many tranfparent 
colours. ‘The tail is divided as into five parts, 
which, whilft the little infe@ lives, refemble 
fo many pyramidal rough prickles or ftings g, 
each of which cafts it {kin, when the Nymph 
affurnes the form of a Dragon-Fly: thefe 
ferve principally to clofe up the fundament, 
‘and are likewife an ornament to the hinder 
part of the body. But in the males they have 
another ufe, that is, to keep the creature in 
coition firmly fixed to the head of the female, 
and join themfelves with the neck of the lat- 
ter, as I have exemplified in the third figure 
of the middle Libella, Tab. XII. fig. 111. In 
“my laft obfervations I alfo remarked, that’ the 
branches or ramifications of the Afpera Arteria 
likewife fhed a coat or fkin: and in this re- 
fpect it agrees with all other {pecies of Nymphs, 
and with the Worms and Caterpillars of But- 
terflies and other infects. 
The other Nymph Vermicle that I exhibit 
is likewife of this fpecies, from which the 
middle Dragon-Flies are produced. It has all 
thofe parts I have before {hewn in the largetft. 
The lips only and teeth are placed in a diffe- 
rent manner, and are obferved to be longer, 
fig. v. a, though they may be likewife length- 
ened or drawn out in the largeft Nymph. 
The legs alfo are fhaggy 4; the follicles or 
bags are likewife diftin@tly feen on the back c, 
as well as the rings of the abdomen, and prickles — 
or ftings in the tail d. I found the former 
largeft Nymph in a ditch upon fome water 
plants, after it had firft crept into the grafs 
and caft its fkin. In the Nymph juft now 
defcribed the wings were fo perfect, that they 
might be fpread open or difplayed in the 
hand. 
The third fpecies I exhibit is not found in 
Holland, except in the diftrict of Utrecht. 
I firft found this Nymph on the other fide of 
Paris in the river Seine, where many ox skulls 
had been thown into it, and thefe being filled 
with mud afforded the Nymph habitation and 
nourifhment. I likewife found there many 
river Hermits, which probably prey upon thefe 
and the like infects. This is probably the little 
NATUR E; of, 
creature that Redi calls the Marine Scorpiori; 
and delineates without follicles or bags of 
wings, becaufe he had not feen it completely 
perfect. Of the fame nature with this infect 
is alfo that which Rondeletius calls the Mar- 
teau and river Libella, In the head of this 
infect are likewife obferved two eyes, without. 
divifions ; before which are two articulated 
horns or antenne, fig. vi. a: It has fix legs, 
which are long enough for the bignefs of the 
body 44. The four bags or follicles annexed 
to the fhoulder-blades are preffed together 
clofe and even; and are beautifully marked, 
Tab. XII. fig. vi. cc, with intercurrent vefiels. 
The body is divided into rings, and is all over 
briftly d. The tail was painted with green 
and yellow, and divided as into three trian- 
gular appendagese. ‘This little creature {wims 
fafter than the former Nymph; but the Fly 
again iffuing from it, has a flower motion, and 
prides itfelf in very beautiful wings, which are 
varioufly painted, according as thefe Nymphs 
differ among themfelves. Whoever attentively 
views the wings of this Dragon-Fly, will fee 
that their nervous divifions are much clofer 
than in the wings of the largeft and middle 
fpecies; nay, this differs from them in this, 
that it folds its wings like the diurnal Butter- 
flies, when it lies any where to reft. : 
I have a Spanifh Dragon-Fly, which has 
fharp pointed wings, and therefore differs from 
all others; for the wings of ours are for the 
moft part oval, and terminate in a roundifh 
extremity. It has likewife very large hairy 
horns or antenne. I have myfelf delineated 
to the life another kind of Dragon-Fly fent 
from Africa, which had fpotted wings. 
likewife have feen a third fpecies, which had 
very long and broad wings, and but a fmall 
body in proportion: but the wings were con- 
{picuous and remarkable for fome paintings on 
them like dried vine-branches, and exhibited 
a fpectacle of the moft exquifite art and admi- 
rable elegance. I have therefore delineated 
this in its natural fize, and can fhew a prepa- 
ration of it to this day. 
The fourth fpecies of thefe Nymphs is 
found every where in the waters in Holland, 
but efpecially in the narrow ditches; out of 
which, with the water plants, fuch Nymphs 
may be taken almoft every year, not except- 
ing even the winter, They do not differ much 
from that juft now defcribed, as is manifeft 
from the figure, fig. vir. This Nymph, 
having caft its skin, produces a very {mall Fly, 
with filver-coloured wings, and a blue and 
black body. This kind has alfo a flow mo- 
tion, and almoft perpetually flies about ditches. 
This fpecies of Dragon-Fly has the fame me- 
thod of generation with the largeft and mid- 
dle kind, for both perform the bufinefs of 
coition in the air. But I muft confefs I never 
faw the manner wherein thefe Flies that iffue 
out of the Nymphs delineated in fig. v1. pro-~ 
pagate their {pecies, 
of 
