File:Nature sketches in temperate America, a series of sketches and a popular account of insects, birds, and plants, treated from some aspects of their evolution and ecological relations (1911) (14754985422).jpg

Identifier: cu31924024546263 (find matches)
Title: Nature sketches in temperate America, a series of sketches and a popular account of insects, birds, and plants, treated from some aspects of their evolution and ecological relations
Year: 1911 (1910s)
Authors: Hancock, Joseph Lane
Subjects: Plant ecology Animal ecology Animal behavior Birds Insects
Publisher: Chicago, A. C. McClurg & Co.
Contributing Library: Cornell University Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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his haven of life. On watching them intently,one sees that this apparently aimless flight is for the purposeof catching the small winged insects, which are either in-stantly devoured or carried to the dra;gon-fly posts at thetops of the last years dead reed stalks that here and therehave weathered the elements. Or, perchance, one of theseinsects has sped down to the waters surface, where she hasmomentarily dipped her body to release an egg. What country boy is not familiar with the flying monarch,Anax, or the snake doctor, which goes to and fro in mid-airwith glimmering wings, at one moment playing hide-and-seekabove the herbage at the border of the pond, and in the nextmoment swinging out over the open surface. The timid boy who has superstitions respecting these harm-less aviators in the sunshine may have lost heart; but theone more courageous is often invited to- a merry chase by abold dash near his head of one of the less wary. He must GENERAL OBSERVATKLXS A.\U SKETCHES AFIELD 279
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The upper Dragon-fly (Sympeinan ridnum) has just cap-tured an insect and is feeding on it. The lou-er figureis a species of Argia resting on flie reed. Theseinsects frequent tlic shores of rivers and ponds. 280 NATURE SKETCHES IN TEMPERATE AMERICA be quick, for while making up his mind to accept the challengewith the net, the opportunity is past, and perhaps the brilliantsunlight has temporarily blurred his vision. Nowhere do we find brighter coloring than among thesegraceful pond frequenters. Here is presented a green-bodiedspecies with transparent wings, while a moment later anothercomes with its body bathed in vivid carmine. Contrastsin the color pattern occur which show a representative withblue body and emerald eyes. In the torrid summer heat onemay not be surprised to see a suggestion of winter by a coatingresembling white frost on the body and wings of Libellulapulchella, one of our commonest species. This insect is, more-over, exquisitely dressed in bluish drab, with two splas

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