e as necessary to one of its habits as to see well.

What would be the use of seeing an insect if it could not fly fast
enough to catch it?

We all like your pretty wings, little dragon fly; they look like glass
and they shine so in the sun.

How fast the wings can move! See that dragon fly skimming over the pond;
its wings make a whizzing sound as it darts about.

[Illustration]

Why does it zigzag so?

Why doesn't it fly in a straight line?

Yes, Mollie, you are right, it goes zigzagging along after insects.

It sees one it wants off at one side--whizz! around it turns after it.

Shouldn't you like to fly like that, children?

And yet we would not be willing to exchange our arms and hands for
wings.

We could not whittle a stick nor write a letter if we had only wings.

In fact we could not do most of the things we now do.

I am glad I have my hands.

We are glad, too, that the dragon flies have their pretty, swift wings.

They have four wings, all nearly the same size and shape, you see, and
they are all stiff and shining.

Some dragon flies, like this one we have picked up, always keep their
wings spread out.

[Illustration]

But over there, standing on the end of that stick, is another kind.

When it rests its wings are folded together.

What a pretty one it is! Do you see it?

It is small, but so pretty.

It is bright blue and shines as though it had been polished.

Sometimes birds catch these smaller dragon flies, though birds, as a
rule, are not fond of any of them.

They are so hard and their wings are so stiff I should think a bird
might almost as well swallow nails.

I am sure no bird could swallow one of the big ones, wings and all!

But frogs can.

A frog will try to swallow almost anything it can catch, and it watches
for the dragon flies when they come to lay their eggs in the water.

Suddenly it jumps out, and away goes poor dragon fly into that great
wide frog-mouth.

[Illustration]

Now look at the legs of the dragon fly. It has six.

Every dragon fly has six legs.

They are rather short and small for so large an insect, but that is
because it does not need large, strong legs.

You never saw a dragon fly dig a hole, or run, or even walk, did you?

Their legs are not arranged for walking. All six of them are directed
forwards as though they were reaching out after something. And so they
are--reaching out after insects.

Dragon fly catches his prey while he i