E Bile 
PLATE XXIV. 
LIBELLULA DEPRESSA. 
DracGcon Fuy. 
NEUROPTERA. 
Wings four, naked, tranfparent, reticulated with veins or nerves. 
Tail without a fling. 
GENERIC CHARACTER. 
Mouth with two long lateral jaws. Antenne very fhort. Tail of 
the male forked, Wings extended. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 
Eyes brown. ‘Thorax greenifh, with two yellow tranfverfe bands. 
A large black {pot at the bafe of each Wing, and a {mail dark mark 
on their exterior margin. Body deprefled, lance-fhaped, 
All the fpecies of Libellula, but particularly the larger kinds, are 
confidered by many rather as objects of terror, than fubje€ts worthy in- 
fpection; and the vulgar denomination of Horfe-fiinger, contributes to. 
this abhorrence: although it hath no power over animals of fuch mag- 
nitude, it is perfectly a Vulture among lepidopterous, or other defencelefs 
Infe€ts, deftroying more for its fport than for its voracious appetite. 
The Fly is on the wing in May, and June, in almoft every marfhy 
fituation; the female lays her eggs near the roots of Ofiers on the 
banks of ditches, or finks them into the ftalks of Rufhes in the water ; 
ghey hatch, and an ugly apterous infect, of a brown colour, comes 
; forth ; 
