As the wings grow larger, the eyes of the dragon-fly grow brave and bright; its body dries. Then it gleams like a jewel. Its fresh colors come out clearly. It feels strong and active.
Then, all at once, it uses its new wings. It rises into the air and flashes here and there, just as hungry and ten times swifter than ever before.
The flight of the dragon-fly is called hawking, for it is like the motion of that strong bird, the hawk. If it gets caught in a place where its wide wings cannot turn, it can fly backwards and get off safely. In a place where the wings might be injured by striking against leaves or branches, it flies out in this way.
When dragon-flies are dead, the great beauty of their bodies passes away. They fade and grow dull, as when they first came from the pupa-case. The scarlet, yellow, blue, or green turns to a dull drab. So you cannot keep them as well as you can keep beetles. It is life that gives the dragon-fly its splendid beauty.
LESSON XLIV.
THE DRAGON-FLY AND HIS COUSINS.
The dragon-fly eats almost every kind of insects which you have thus far read about. Beetles, spiders, flies, centipedes, fresh-water shrimps, and polliwogs are its food.
The dragon-fly is a larva for a year. It is a perfect dragon-fly only a part of one summer. You will find the most dragon-flies in July or August. When the frost comes, they die.
Dragon-flies are very strong; they are fond of chasing other insects. They seem to catch and tear them for the mere pleasure of pulling them to pieces. They also fight with each other, and Mr. and Mrs. Dragon-fly have some hard battles.
The dragon-fly does not have a long lip, or mask, set on a rod, as the larva had. They fly so swiftly that they do not need such help in getting food.