The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-06-01

hundred times day if he will watch one
OF these insects wluging its erratic course
after prey. 1t can see a victim behind it.
In front 1t, and both sides of it, all at the
same time, and doesn't have TO waste time
In turning to get all four, and it will have
all four in its marvelous NAV almost while
watch is ticking twice.
Nv Wonderful as the arrangement of the
dragon hy's wings are, its optical powers
are still more wonderful. The insect has
hVe eyes. Two of them are the enormous,
brilliant protuberances on each side of the
top OF Its head, the two most striking feat
ures OF the fly, and the ones that give it
that fierce appearance which causes it to be-
creature so much dreaded by foolish men,
women and children. Then right in front
OF It's head 1t has three ordinary eyes, all in
row. Each one Of those big, blazing eyes
is made up OF no less than q, 900 polished
lenses, which not only account for the in
tense brilliancy of their eyes, but give them
microscopic and all-seeing power beyond
humon ken. ANY prey that escapes the eyes
OF the dragon fly is welcome to its freedom
from pursuit and capture.
There Is another popularity In the
makeup of the dragon fly that has been a
source of much lamenting and regret to
naturallstS from the time naturalistS first
appeared. In life the long, segmented
body OF the insect Is marked with most
brilliant and beautiful bands Of colors. The
instant death ensues these colors fade and
disappear. leaving only an ugly, grayish
trunk. Science has failed TO find a way to
prevent this fading Of the dragon f1y's hues,
consequently all representations Of dragon
fly colors in collections are artificial. They
are reproduced by carefully dissecting the
insect and painting the Eues on the inside of
the body, the transparent skin or she'll per-
hitting the artificial coloring to
show through. Alive, the dragon
fly, In spite Of its terrific ap-
full of all insects. Dead, it is the ugliest.
II had pet dragon fly once. was spend
ing the summer at one of the inland lakes
in the central part Of the state. The hotel
faced the lake, and had a front room.
One day l was writing in my room, aud it
seemed to me as if every house fly there was
10 the whole neighborhood had called on
me- They were particularly impudent and
aggravating. Any one who has bald head
knows what an attraction it has for flies,
and these flies had toyed with mine to such
an extent that afternoon that they had
worked me into a temper. By and by big
dragon fly came flashing in at the open
window, and hailed him as a benefactor.
He circused around in that
room among those pestinerous flies
until he had cleaned every one
Of them out. Then he made final inspec-
ton of every nook and corner in the room
and flashed out OF the window again, tax.
ing my blessing with him. But it takes
more than half day for one dragon fly tC
depopulate any locality of its house flies
and the next afternoon the little pests were
on hand in my room, 1t seemed to me worse
than ever. l wished for that dragon fly
again, but had no idea that he would APP
pear; but much to my delight he did. He
| 49, l.. 4
fore. almost to a minute. He cleared the
room of flies.in a short time, inspected 1t al
around as before, and then, TO my surprise
lit on the back Of chair that stood at the
end Of my table, not more than three feet
from my elbow. There he sat for
minute or more, gazing al
me with blazing, iridescent eyes, as if he
was wondering what sort of an animal
was, anyhow. While he was there fly
that had been in hiding somewhere came
out of his Sc ret nook and lit on my bald
head the first thing. ZIP! went that dragon
fly and the indiscreet little pest Joined his
companions. The dragon fly did it so slick
that he never touched my bald pate, and
all / felt was the cool flaming Of his wings
upod it After he had captured that fly he
few out of the windew and away. No one
can ever make me believe that he didn't
know that fly was hiding and would soon
the attraction be would go for at once.
"Well, | began to get interested in the
dragon fly, and wondered if he would come
again next day. or whether his previous visits
had simply been tue result Of accident. The
next day was one Of those cold, raw days
that often come in summer aid l kept my
window closed. Even if l had really be-
lieved the dragon fly's visits were from
design and premeditated, | wouldn't have
expected him that day. l was sorry, too.
for the flies, although not as rampant as
ordinary, were annoying and sticky. was
writing away in the afternoon, when
suddenly heard dull tap, tap, tap, against
my window pane. looked up, and there
was my dragon fly, butting his head against
the window to attract my attention, aud
showing plainly that he wanted to get in.
He was promptly on time. and of course
there could be no doubt any longer that his
calls were not accidental, but regularly
planned.
81 get up at once, raised the window aud
let him in. He didn't go to work right
away, for he seemed a little chilled. He
lit on the back of IA chair again, watched
me as l wrote, now and then shipped a fly
off of my bald spot. and finally got warmed
up and went to WORK in earnest Kidding the
room of flies. While he was at work IL be-
gan to rain, and by the time he got through
it was raining hard. had put the window