Identifier: stnicholasserial301dodg (find matches)
Title: St. Nicholas (serial)
Year: 1873 (1870s)
Authors: Dodge, Mary Mapes, 1830-1905
Subjects: Children's literature
Publisher: (New York : Scribner & Co.)
Contributing Library: Information and Library Science Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Digitizing Sponsor: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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He isthen the possessor of a glossy dark-brown coat of armor spotted and streakedwith yellowish green and black. The nymph is furnished with one ofthe strangest weapons known in the in- sect world. To the lowerpart of his jaw is hinged astrong arm-like attachment,jointed in the middle andhaving at the end strongjaws. When closed thesejaws are shaped like a cup,and they just fit over thelower portion of the face.For this reason this appara-tus has been termed a mask.It folds below the head andthorax of the nymph. Whenan unfortunate and unsus-pecting insect comes withinreach, the nymph darts outhis mask and seizes the prey, which he draws back soquickly that only a flash is visible as the deed is done.Holding his prize in his mask, the nymph then proceedsto eat it at his leisure. As every one knows, there are two kinds of dragon-flies; the first being the true dragon-flies, with thickbodies and holding their wings horizontally when inrepose, and the second class being the damsel-flies,
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AQUATIC INSECT TIGERS ) right-hand lower corner has just caughtin its extended mouth mask. NATURE AND SCIENCE FOR YOUNG FOLKS. 77 which have long, slender bodies and hold the wingsvertically. Now, in the nymphal stage these twoclasses are most readily distinguished by their mannerof breathing. The true dragon-fly nymphs breathe in-ternally by drawing the water into their abdomens, ex-tracting the air, and then ejecting it again. By expel-ling the water with sufficient force, the nymph can movealong quite rapidly, but by sudden jerks. On the otherhand, the damsel-fly nymphs respirate externally bymeans of three leaf-like appendages. These also mayserve the purpose of locomotion by being waved fromright to left, as the sculler uses his oar. Nymphs of the dragon-flies live at least ten or elevenmonths in water. But when the weather becomes warm,and the last molt is about to occur, the nymph remainsinactive for some time. After this period of quiet, heclimbs a neighboring reed until he is

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