The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-06-01
The CURIOUS DRAGON FLY
His Predatory Life Down In The
Depths Of ! Quiet Shady
Pool
Hia underlip II Most Wonderfully
Made ana Of the Utmost
ImportancA


Brsathss Thrsush His tail white In the
watsr-Frossss Of Transfsrmatisa-
His Latsr Days.
IT know nothing moro curious 81 inter.
Getting IN nature than the development Of
Nc dragon dy.". the professor said. ANY
= who, IL the sarly summer or late
spring. will look down into The depths Of
some quiet pool or rsedy pond, where be
Gan go the bottom. will go many cufiesa
forms Of insect life-orseping things, dart
Ing things, swimming things; big beetles,
asmorsd like ships Of wal; fierce looking
Worm-liko creatures. and others 90 clossl '
rsssmblinR the friRhtful cantipede ~ 10
startle one who sees them for tho first time.
Many Of these hideous looking things are
the larve Of what later On become familiar
and beautiful winged creatures, some that
delight the eye al summer long, and others
that sport II the sunbsana only ! few
hours. One among the formidable members
ct that aubaqueous insect community will
particularly attract the eye Of the observer.
Il II q broad shouldered creature, an inch
or 10 Ia length, and with I biz angular
head. with q big, brilliant, bullying eye a
each upper corner Of the hssd. From the
two lower corners project = pair Of strong
jaws. incurviEg like nn ELEPHANTS tusks.
The face 10 covered by 4 angular eontriv-
ance which resembles q mask, and which,
however curious ii may seem. IL actually a
part Of the creatures underlip, the other
part being folded up and put out Of tho
way against its stomach. Six active legs,
three on q side. hang from the shoulders.
The body tapers in eight short ssgnents 10
: point, ana TO the edge Of o. each segment
10 attached : short. sharp spike. From the
tail project in . cluster five ne~sdle-pointed
spikes ha.inR apart a. the points, the
the point OF a pin. The casual person
might naturally suppose that with eyes for
the upper corners OF ito head. tusk-like jaws
for the lower corners, an undsrlip that can
be worn like q mask and q stomachsr at tho
same time. any creature would be fearfully
and wonderfully made. But this one 10 a
much abler creature physically than all
that. II has inside Of itself . pair Of oxy-
gen-extractinR Rills. not on the outside, "a
the commonplace fishes wear theirs. II
.sry = suction pump and an ejectinR valve.
The insect is constantly pumping fresh
water into itself through the spike-defended
aperture in its tail extracting the oxygen
~ it, interior gills. and then ejecting the
exhausted water through the same aperture.
through his tail. If it be q moment at rest
in the pond this inspiration and respiration
may BE- seen in the gentle working Of tho
ejsctor az it forces the water ont. Brighten
the creature, or let it see some prey he
covets, and il shoots the stream Of water
from its body with euoh force that il i'm
polls the insect forward like = lash, some
times . foot or more. Whom this insect
makes o rush Of that kind rest sure that
whatever il has aimed at il gets ita lip on.
a. ars the other appurtenancss Of this sub
aquean prowler, they ure but ordinary
mechanism whom compared with that under
lip Of his. II il folded up against bis
stomach something as the carpenter might
fold his rule. On its extremity is a pair Of
toad launches its muciIaRenous tongue aud
pastes the inconsiderats fy fass TO it, 20
does this wsll.armed forager project his
tointed under lip against his prey, fasten
the nippers deep upon it, and pull it up and
quickly that the prey il dsvoursd
.lmost before you realize what has
besn going on. The lip has frequently
q two-inch reach. The usual prey
OF this extraordinary creature 10 the
swarm among the weeds on the bottom, but
J have seen him seize with equal ~fsrocity
and success good-sized minnows that ven
tured within range OF that unsrring lip.
Once ! saw one set his nippers in the flank
OF . lusty young frog that was swimming
le1surely by . dump of weeds, where the
foraRsr was in hiding. The frightened frog
put on more steam and pulled for the sur
face. The predatory and rapacious owner
OF the lip held on, but the weight and
strength Of the frog were too much for him
and when the frog raised him an inch or
two out Of his element he let 10 and Data
pulled himself back to the bottom. The
crawled out IN q bog and sat down
there to ponder over his adventure. He
pondered 20 deeply that he did not see OF
hear a water snake that Qlided up behind ]
him and carried him away.
time passes soma startling changes
come over this aggressive water denizen. ,
His head begins to swell and his back to
hump itself. The more his head
swells and tho higher his back
for his appetite increases With liz
Importance. by and BY, il you
watch him closely, you can't help noticing
that ne has evidently struck q bad streak OF
health. Physical distress of some kind Is
has ever had the asthma or seen any one
have it. will be struck with the fact ,
il anything ais this erstwhile stall :
wars despoiler OF his fellows it .
is the asthma. When he exsrts l
llNAncA1 y u suby 10 SEQ b06I ne can scarcely :
Patch his breath. His eyes bulge more than
and he lsbors hard for the insufficient I
he manages to pull in. You can :
almost imagine that yon hear him whssze. !
knows that his only hope is change 3!
Of climate. and at last he seeks it. He !
the stalk Of some convenient rush !
Or reed or water plant. and leaves his native Z
for the air. He ascends tho stalk a 9
lew inches above the surface of tho pond. :
ne seems TO have taken the third degree Of 6
hat tired feeling. He clutches the reed :
xlth his six legs as with the grasp of death. !
DC rolls his head and sways his body, and g
for breath. y
Keep your eyes on him, and presently 9
1ou will sec him hump himself as if for .
'ne supreme and final effort, and crack Q
something. II ever any one was ever :
tipped up the back, he is. But hs did it !
n by ii has conquered relief. =
His clothes had become too small for MIN,
md he Is cmanoipating himself from their q
'lnsp. There 10 a Riistening sheen Al tho !.
,ead and shoulders he now tsars nloft. and =
he big eyes are as brilliant as diamonds.
: was q hard struggle. but he brenthes
gain. His gills have given place to
unR power. and he will never have =
Q separate oxygen from wntcr again d
a order to live. He rests awhile, q
nd then vOn aa0 TINT th~r III