MODE OF OVIPOSITION. 127 



Both Agrion and Lestes sometimes also go beneath the 

 surface of the water to lay their eggs. Siebold (Wiegm. 

 Archiv. Plate I., page 205, 1841) has observed the fe- 

 male of ^schna clinging to a plant, dipping her body be- 

 neath the water and rubbing it up and down along the 

 stem. Mr. AV. T. Davis once saw a female JE. verticalis 

 descend beneath the surface of a slow flowing spring, but 

 he has not seen the species deposit an egg as is stated in 

 one of the volumes of the " Zoological Record." I have 

 seen, at Sandy Hook, N. J., a species of ^schna laying 

 eggs in the same manner as Libellula, with the male di- 

 rectino; her movements. 



The best time I found to make observations and to cap- 

 ture the d liferent species of Odonata is between sunset 

 until dusk or on a day partly clouded. In the hot rays of 

 the sun the insects are too active and shy to make obser- 

 vations about their breeding habits; while during sunset 

 or on a cloudy day, when the sun is less torrid, thev are 

 less active and rather sluggish in their movements. 



