always cast aside by the creatures that eat the insects.

Besides catching insects with their legs, the dragon flies cling fast to
things with them, but when they wish to move they do not walk, they fly.

Yes, indeed, Frank, you are right; their legs are jointed.

That is so they can move them easily and fold them up when they want
to.

They would find it as hard to get along without joints to their legs as
we should.

Wouldn't we be stiff if we had no joints!

See, the legs and wings are fastened to the middle part of the body, the
_thorax_, we call it.

All insects have the legs and wings attached to the thorax.

The rest of the body is the abdomen. See how long it is.

[Illustration]

It is the long abdomen that gives the dragon fly its name of spindle, I
suppose.

The abdomen is jointed, and it can curl up.

All grown-up insects have a head, a thorax, and a jointed abdomen.