The Camp
Mon., May 25, 1925
Two tragedies occurred in the insect and bird life today. For years I have wondered what funny little bugs come from the ugly brown beetle shells seen in the spring near the water's edge, and today I found out--to my surprise--a glistening, iridescent green dragonfly? Fascinated, I watched the metamorphosis.
This morning on a rock near the water I noticed a clumsy insect body, with wings tightly furled, protruding from one of these shells. Its six legs were all out and I could see just where they and the folded wings had fitted into their housing. Placing it on a chair on the porch I watched it emerge. Slowly drawing its rather chunky body free of the casing, it began to teeter and seesaw and to my astonishment, its body lengthened and grew thinner until it was twice as long as the shell it discarded. At last, appearing satisfied with its slender green length it began to unfurl its wings, which were crumpled, webby and opaque. But as they unfolded they became smooth, iridescent and transparent; then before my eyes the dragonfly lifted high four perfect, glistening new wings. They took my breath away they were so beautiful--so bright, shiny and shimmery. Fluttering them a few times it flew several feet to the porch railing, where it posed a moment to catch its breath before plunging into the big world. Alas, it soared only a few yards before a phoebe bird darted down and gobbled it up! I sat down and cried. It had been so fresh, young and new!
Later this afternoon one of the babies of the same phoebe bird fell out of the nest and was killed instantly.