about 621 B. C. He probably simply put in writing the laws which were customary in his time; but these laws seem harsh and cruel to people of later times. Draco has had to bear the blame of their severity. His laws ordered how a child must be brought up from its birth, and educated, and what his duties were when he became a man. Plutarch says that death was the penalty for nearly every crime. The writing of the laws was probably intended to prevent the archons, who were at the head of the government, from abusing the rights of the people. Nothing is known of Draco's life.
Draft-Riots. These riots resulted from the enforcement of the conscription act, passed March 3, 1863, to fill up the ranks of the army, which was no longer adequately supplied by volunteers or by the state-drafts. Congress divided the north into enrolment-districts, each under the charge of a provost-marshal; he in turn was responsible to the provost-marshal-general, an officer of the war-department. By this act all “able-bodied male citizens of the United States” and foreigners intending to become citizens, between the ages of 20 and 45, were enrolled and became liable to three years' military service. There had been riots in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin over state-drafts, but the most serious were those in New York City. On Monday, July 13, 1863, after the lots had been drawn for about half an hour, a mob of some thousand men began to hurl brickbats and paving-stones into the marshal's office. The crowd increased, the drafting-office was destroyed, and the building fired. The few soldiers available were routed, and the police overpowered. Other draft-offices were set on fire, and the firemen prevented from putting out the blaze. Other houses then were burned, belonging to people whom the crowd thought responsible for the war and the draft. Then, as the crowd grew larger and fiercer, it seized upon many negroes, cruelly beat them, and in many cases killed them, burning the bodies. For one night New York City was practically at the mercy of the mob. On Tuesday, July 15, thieves joined the mob, and matters became worse. Governor Seymour addressed them from the City Hall in a weak speech. Towards evening about 800 troops joined the weary police, and some headway was made. On Wednesday it was announced that the draft had been suspended in New York City and Brooklyn. The mob subsided. Militia at the same time arrived and began to rake the streets with cannon wherever occasion offered. By Friday all rioting was at an end. About 1,000 were killed, chiefly members of the mobs. The damage to property was about $1,500,000.
Drago Doctrine. A theory advanced in 1902 by Dr. Luis Drago, Argentine minister of public affairs, as an extension of the Monroe doctrine, to the effect that the debts of a nation should not be collected by its creditor-nation by force. It was modified in 1907 to the effect that the claims should be argued through the courts of the debtor country up to the Hague Tribunal, whose decision, if unfulfilled, may permit of such forcible measures. Dr. Drago published his theory at the time when England and Germany were trying to exact their dues from Venezuela. It was not received very favorably at first, but was finally submitted to the Hague Conference for approval and adoption.
Dragon, the name given to a lizard found in the East Indies, about seven or eight inches long. The skin along the sides of the body, between the legs, is spread out into a kind of parachute, and, these animals, which live among trees, may be seen shooting through the space from tree to tree, with the parachute expanded. They feed upon insects. Their color corresponds pretty well to that of the bark of the trees, but they have little or no power of changing color. In ancient and medieval times the dragon was a fabulous monster, either a serpent or a hideous winged and clawed creature, guarding some treasure or spreading havoc by occasional visits, and against which gods, heroes and knights combated.
DRAGON
Dragon-Fly, the name of a group of insects, common all over the world, with four large transparent wings, that are net-veined. There are several varieties, and some have bright metallic colors. In the United States they are commonly called darning-needles, and are said by children to be able to sting, sew up the ears or do some other physical harm; but they have no sting and are entirely harmless to man. They have very large, rounded eyes, composed of several thousand elements united, and this gives a huge size to the head. Their mouth-parts are strong-biting jaws, and they devour many insects which they catch while on the wing. They are abundant about ponds and
