Few insects are so easy on the wing as this, and few have such beauty of wing. Yet I think, after all, that the chief beauty of the dragon-fly is in its eyes. These are like two great flaming jewels.
The eyes are beautiful, for this clear, glowing light in them; the body, for vivid color; the wings, for their lace-like texture. Each of the wings has a dark spot on the front edge. Often, in flying, this spot and the line of bright color of the body, almost like a streak of fire, are all that can be seen of the insect.
The Dragon-fly and his Cousins.
There are several kinds of dragon-flies. These are different in color and size, and in the shape of their bodies. One, with a very long, thin, dark body, is called the Darning-Needle. One, with a thicker body, is called the Ringed-Club. Its body is largest at the tail end. This one is dressed in black and gold, and is large and strong.
A smaller kind of dragon-fly, which has no spots on the wings, is called the Little Lady. This is among the prettiest of all; some of them are bright red; some a clear light blue. They look more like creatures in some dream about fairies, than like real live insects, for they flit here and there like streaks of gay-colored light, and you can scarcely see the wings on which they fly.
The dragon-fly has some very handsome relations. One of these is called the Lace-Wing. The head and body of the lace-wing are bright green, its wings are like white gauze; but its chief beauty is in its eyes. Some call it the Golden-Eye, because its eyes are like a drop of amber, or melted gold.
The veins in the wings of the lace-wing are very fine. As the light falls on them, they change in color, and look like pink, red, blue, green, or gold threads.
These lovely lace-wings do not like the bright light of the noon-day, as the dragon-fly does. They prefer to come out in the moonlight, or when the sun is setting.
The lace-wing is not a water lover, as the dragon-fly is. It lays its eggs on leaves, and every egg is held upon a little silken stem. The stem is much like the silk which the spider spins. These eggs are laid in groups.