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A Japanese miscellany - University of Oregon

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Dragon-flies 89<br />

insect especially referred to as Aka-tombo by<br />

the old poets is a small dragon-fly, which is <strong>of</strong>ten<br />

seen in flocks.<br />

XXV. — Tosumi-tombo, " Lamp-wick Dragon-<br />

fly." A very small creature, — thus named be-<br />

cause <strong>of</strong> the resemblance <strong>of</strong> its body to the<br />

slender pith-wick used in the old-fashioned<br />

<strong>Japanese</strong> lamp.<br />

XXVI. — Mono-sasU-tombo, " Foot-measure<br />

Dragon-fly." This also is a very small insect.<br />

The form <strong>of</strong> its body, with the ten joint-markings,<br />

suggested this name — ; the ordinary Jap-<br />

anese foot-measure, usually made <strong>of</strong> bamboo,<br />

being very narrow, and divided into only ten<br />

sun, or inches.<br />

XXVII. — Beni-tombo. This is the name given<br />

to a beautiful pink dragon-fly, on account <strong>of</strong> its<br />

color. Beni is a kind <strong>of</strong> rouge, with which the<br />

<strong>Japanese</strong> girl tints her lips and cheeks on certain<br />

occasions.<br />

XXWUl— Mehura-tombo, " Blind Dragon-fly."<br />

The creature thus called is not blind at all ; but it<br />

dashes its large body in so clumsy a way against<br />

objects in a room that it was at one time sup-<br />

posed to be sightless.<br />

XWX. — Ka-tombo, "Mosquito Dragon-fly,"

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