Ogden Standard-Examiner | 1926-08-10 | Page 4 | Queer Quirks of Nature

NATHE NATURE NAT I HE IE ISN'T AFTER ALL ALLSy By Sy ARTHUR N PACK President American Nature A AssocIation Damsel flies are these those slender bodied slender slender- bodied winged long-winged Insects Insect built somewhat along the tho lines of drag drag- dragonflies drag on on flies and nail In common with them sometimes called devils devil darning darning- needles darning needles Large Largo boys who ought to know better ar are fond of ot tell tell-Ine tell tell- tellIng hag Ing the tho smaller ones when these efficIent insects are nr seen skim skim- skimming skimming mine ming over o the tho 01 old swimming bole that they will sew BOW up little lIlUe flUb boys ears cars doctors Snake also they ore are called under th the pretended notion that they administer to the Ills of oC those reptiles They lIre are also supposed to sting horses As A a II matter matte of at fact however the adults of o both drason flies mes and damsel flies are aro perfectly harmless except to other Insects In the adult flyIng they feedon feed feedon feedon on various flying Insects and many tribes tribe ot of people give elvo them the name nama mosquito hawk Most damsel flies lay their e eggs eggson eggson gs on th the surface o ot of the tho water and they lay by a great many marty When these hatch batch the tiny larva grows to bo ba a 3 comparatively heavy bOttled bodied exceedingly well wel lit nt- ted ted to c capture other Insects or any small water v animal even In Including in- in including eluding small fishes A curious mod modification III cation of the lower lip Is fitted with hooks with which they can seize self and slid hold their prey The damsel fly damsel larvae themselves are ar so 0 o very abundant that they form Corm an Im tat- Important source of ot food for tor fishes and other aquatic vertebrates