xxxii, '21 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 19 



Two Days with Indiana Odonata. 



By E. B. WILLIAM sox. Bluff ton, Indiana. 



The positive limnotropism shown June 13, 1920, was first 

 evidenced June 6, when Professor ( )shurn. Dr. Kennedy and 

 myself were attracted to the woodland swamp southeast of 

 BlufYton, Indiana, which I have designated in previous papers 

 as the Vanemon swamp. This swamp will he known, long after 

 its decease, as the locality where the beautiful Acslina inntata 

 was rediscovered. And in that day when the swamp will have 

 become a cornfield will Acshna inntata also have disappeared 

 from the earth? A certain melancholv attends mv everv visit 



j * * 



to this swamp. Twenty years have seen profound changes 

 there, changes that speak too clearly of extinction. One can 

 consider his individual dissolution with a certain equanimity, 

 knowing that nothing of particular value to the race is involved 

 therein. But here, before his eyes, is taking- place the extinc- 

 tion of a habitat of numerous species, which will themselves 

 inevitably suffer annihilation at the same time. Are these 

 woodland swamps to pass without a historian to recount the 

 doings of their myriad plant and animal inhabitants ? The fail- 

 ure to record the comings and goings and the infinite activi- 

 tic^ at these swamps will be held bv future generations as 

 criminal folly on the part of the generation now living. Sea 

 shores can wait. The woodland swamps are going and going 

 fast, and their wonderful and interesting fauna and flora are 

 going with them. 



( >ur trip to the Vanemon swamp on June 6 was made espe- 

 cially to obtain life history material of Epiacschna herns, in 

 which Dr. Kennedy was interested. He was able in several 

 instances to observe females of this species ovipositing and to 

 obtain the eggs. \Yhile he was so engaged. I waded out to 

 the little dwindling patch of spatterdock in the northwest part 

 of the swamp where I found both Enallagma cyathigerum and 

 calvcrti flying. It is interesting to note that these two species 

 are absolutely indistinguishable on the wing, just as at the same 

 >eason, at more open pools and at lakes. Enallagma chriinn 

 and hafjoii cannot be specifically recognized in flight. Later 

 in the season certain Sympetra present a similar but not quite 



