The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-05-15
The Touching Story or Drssoa Fly sh.,
Became . Pet.

Became . Pot.
"The unfolding OF tho dragon ny is not the
only curious thing about that insect" said the
Professor. referring to his description OF that
interesting metamorphosis as printed In THs
Sun recently. "The mission OF the perfect in
sect is to eat-always eat 30 determined is it
to fulfil its mission that. although 1t may be
bereft OF both It's wings and lie q helpless Grip.
pie on the ground. 1t will snap up any fly.
spider moth. or other bug or insect or the lik Q
that Is so inconsiderate as to come within its
lightning. like jaws or lips, and devour them
with as much enjoyment as II It had
captured them as It sailed through the
air. Catch a dragon fly. II you can. and hold it
between your thumb and finger by its broad
shoulders You might naturally suppose that
then fear would get the better Of its appetite.
But not 80. Hold fly near it and those Jaws
will close 1t like flash. and 1t will take flies
thus offered to it all day long. II you choose to
feed them to it The dragon fly never gets
enough to eat. and the quantity Of insects one
will devour In the course OF a days foraging Is
beyond computation. You might fill big
room with flies. spiders. moths. &c. and turn
dragon fly loose among them. and It would
not cease In its devouring OF them for single
second. day or night. provided you kept the
room lighted at night II 1t took 1t a month to
get at tho last one.
'There is no other winged creature. unless
It may be the hummlng bird. that has the ex-
traordinary machinery governing its flight
that the dragon fly possesses. Its speed is
marvellous. and yet It's wings never seem to
move. A dragon fly may be going forward
with tho velocity Of the wind and yet can stop
instantly In the alr. and Immediately start
backward just as rapidly as 1t had been going
forward. Or 1t can fly sidewise with the Same
> I, avf orr hno al. ,ordo
any one may 500 hundred times day II no
will watch ono OF these insects wingng its or
ratio course after prey. 1t can SEQ victim
behind It. In front OF It, and on both sides Of II.
all at the same time. and doesn't have to waste
timo In turning to get ut oil four. and 1t will
have all four in It's marvellous NAV almost
while watch is ticking twice.
Wonderful as the arrangement OF the
dragon fly's wings are. It's optical powers are
still more wonderful The insect has flve
eyes. Two OF them arc the enormous. brilliant
protuberances on each side OF the top OF Its
head. the two most striking features OF the fly.
and the ones that Givo it that 1orco appear
ance which causes 1t to DO a creature so much
dreaded by foolish men. women. and children.
Then right In front OF Its head It has three or
binary eyes. oil In row. Each ono OF those
big. blazing eyes Is made up OF no less than
$4,000 polished lonses which not only account
Tor tho Intense brilliancy OF tho eyes. but give
them microscopic and all-seeing power be-
You'd human ken. $Anyprey tnnt ESCAPES the
frecdom from pursuit and capture
M Of the dragon fly that has been source o.
much lamenting and regret to naturallsts
lT2m th9 time nataraiS'ss irs q, insect is
marked. with most brilliant. and beautiful
bands Of colorss. The instant death ensu nis
these colors fade and disappear leaving Only
A. TGy graY,sh trunk science d ~ ia,eu the s
dragon ly's hues; consequently ~ reprosen.
tations Of dragon fly colors in collections are
artificial. They arc reproduced by careiuliy
shell permitting the artificial coIoring to shoW
throngh. Alive, the dragon ily, In spite OF ifs
bH GpGeHTfnce one OF ne m tbn r9iies
Ing the summer Mt ono Of the inland lakes IN
the contral Dart OF tho state. Tho hote! faced
INC ,.n iake, and ! had front room. One day
was writlnS In my room. AID II seemed me- 70 me
ncighb2rhood had called On mo. They wsro
particularly impu!ent and nGgravating Any
ono who has u laid head knows what an at,
tract |, has Tor hics and these aics had
that afternoon that they had worked
dragon ny came, iiashiuG in ut tho open win
gov. and ! hailed him. MS benefaHtor.
pestiIcrons aies unit he had cleaned everyone
OF them out. Then he made u final inspection
Of every nook and corner In the room. and
h inasn, out Mt. Of ths window again taking my
locality Of It's house lilies. and tho next after
noon the little pests were on hand In nv room.
y seemed ss To- me, worSs tn4n eyer, ia wished sh