356 MONOGItAPH OF THE OENLS SYNTHKMIS, 



tlie insect flies off into tlie bush, where it may remain for weeks^ 

 In some localities where I have taken the full-grown nynipli very 

 commonly, I have never yet taken the perfect insect, except just 

 emerging. On very bright sunny days the males fly up and 

 down over tlie reed-beds and swamps, always keeping low and 

 close to the water. They are vevy easily captured. Females 

 are very seldom seen. The method of pairing is similar to that 

 of aS^. eustalacta. I liave once or twice secured a pair, in cojj., as 

 far as a mile from the breeding-j)]ace, in the bush. The female 

 returns alone to the swamp, and selects a part of it away from 

 the main drainage, where the muddy ooze is only just covered 

 with stagnant water. There she lays her eggs, .sometimes hover- 

 ing in the manner of S. eiosialacta, and sometimes holding liglitly 

 to a reed-stem, still keeping her wings in motion, and wa.shing 

 the eggs out on to the mud at its base. On capturing a female 

 during oviposition, I have never found large masses of eggs, but 

 at the most three or four at a time are exuded, and often none 

 at all. So that it seems that this species is le.'^s advanced than 

 any other knqwn to me, in its method of oviposition. The fact 

 that the ftmale still clings occasionally to reed-stems, shews that 

 it has not quite lost the instinct of ovipositing in the ^Eschnid 

 mannei". It would be interesting, if the females were commoner, 

 to see if tliey ever attempt to use their ovipositor as a borer. I 

 have not observed one to do so, but J have seen only half a dozen^ 

 females ovipositing altogether. 



Tlie young larva, which is very similar to that of S. eustalacta,. 

 can alwa3's be distinguished at once by its labium, and by ihe 

 fact that it inhabits quite a different part of the swamp. While 

 the nymphs of »S'. eitstalacta are always concealed in the mud and 

 silt which accumulates close to the main stream or drainage of 

 the swamp, and are always covered with fairly deep water, tliose 

 of S. macrostigma are found only on the outskirts of the swamp, 

 in vile muddy places where scarcely any water remains, and 

 where the mud is very thick and often caked. By scooping out 

 a small "pot-hole" of mud of this kind, only a few inches across, 

 with my hand, I have often secured several fully-grown larva?. 



