1910] Muttkowski, Briefer Articles. Ill 



flinging of stones, drift-wood and earth, they again were ex- 

 tremely wary upon closer approach. 



The chase of the first male was particularly interesting. After 

 more than twenty futile strokes with the net, when I felt certain 

 each time that I had captured him, I at last succeeded in finding 

 a place sufficiently near to permit more careful manouvering. 

 Aiming to outmanouver his previous upward escapes at each 

 stroke, I swept my net about six inches over him ; — outside of the 

 flutter caused by the current of the stroke he did not stir. An- 

 other stroke- — he sat still. A third sweep — he refused to move. 

 And then, as if laughing at the trials of his ardent enemy, he 

 calmly arose, circled before me and settled on the same twig as 

 before, where at last I got him. 



Their immovability after alighting was striking. A peculiar 

 position was very often assumed. Namely, after a minutes' pon- 

 dering, they would bite into the reed or twig, at the same time 

 thrusting their abdomen high into the air and wiggling it in a 

 manner which was quite amusing. 



The time of their capture was the exact noon-hour, and the 

 species cavorted in the brightest and hottest sun-shine. The tem- 

 perature of the day may be of interest ; in fact, the official record 

 shows it to have been the hottest day Milwaukee has experienced 

 in the last 39 years, with a temperature of 96.3 degrees Fahren- 

 heit. Notwithstanding the light breeze, the atmosphere was close 

 and oppressive. 



Upon examination of the generic character I find that the 

 species belongs in the Arigomphus group, which Needham char- 

 acterized as having the posterior genital hamule directed poste- 

 riorily and with a single, elongated (but not margined) cell be- 

 tween A x and A 2 at their origin in the hind wing. 



Public Museum, Milwaukee, Wis. 



July 1, 19 10. 



