464 JOURNAL, BOMBAY N ATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXV. 



bunch of eggs from the vulvar orifice, so large in fact that it may easily 

 be discerned as a yellow mass at the anal end of the females abdomen 

 whilst it is flying. A female captured at such a time, will have some 

 scores of eggs extruded, the mass being kept from falling, partly by its 

 inherent agglutination and partly by the vulvar scales which are seen to 

 be gaping and grasping the mass on either side and supporting it from 

 below. In those species which have a lateral dilatation at the sides of the 

 8th and 9th abdominal segments, it will be seen that these serve a similar 

 purpose as does the vulvar scale. Whilst linked up in the second position, 

 the male works its penis in and out among the mass of ovte, stirring as 

 it were, the spermatozoa well into it so as to secure complete fertilisation 

 of all the eggs. In some of the Agrionidte, the prothorax will be found 

 in the female to be fitted with long hooks which apparently assist the male 

 in maintaining its grasp of the female prothorax. Fertilisation having been 

 completed, the insects may or may not sever connection according to the 

 species. In many of the genera it will be found that the male accompanies 

 the female during the process of oviposition and even if not linked up to 

 it meanwhile, will continue to hover over it as if to aftord it protection 

 from other males in the vicinity. A male on guard in this way may be seen 

 to tackle and chase away rival after rival, whilst the female pursues its works 

 of oviposition undisturbed. The males of the Agrionidte accompany the 

 females, maintaining their hold of the latter's prothorax until the eggs 

 have been deposited. The females of this family and of the Aeschnines 

 descend into the water and the former often undergo complete submer- 

 gence whilst performing the act of oviposition. the male occasionally being 

 also partially submerged. The male Aeschnines betray some anxiety 

 when the females descend into the water and hover restlessly above them 

 until they emerge. 



The Aeschnines and Agrionines deposit their eggs on the stems of plants 

 or on pieces of submerged stick or other debris or they may actually embed 

 the ovte in these objects by means of the strong pointed hook which they 

 carry between the plates of the vulvar scale. The Libellulines may or 

 may not be luiked up with the male during the act of deposition 

 but usually they separate for this purpose. They never descend into 

 the water but deposit their eggs on floating weeds or actuallj' drop them 

 on to the surface of the water. They may be seen descending in jerks or 

 repeated, rapid vol-planes, whipping each time the surface of the water 

 with the anal end of the abdomen, until all the eggs have been deposited. 

 Unlike other insects, the pairing of the female with the male is not limited 

 to a single occasion but is a repeated act. Thus a female may be seen to 

 deposit eggs for some time and then link up again with the male, after 

 which, it will deposit a fresh batch and this may be repeated several 

 times. 



Eggs are usually deposited in quiet water but many of the Libellulines 

 breed in swiftly running water. Tanks, rivers, stagnant pools and even 

 the mail's reservoir are among the placesin which the Dragonfly lay their 

 eggs but no case has been reported where they have bred in sea-water. 

 Occasionally they may be found breeding in brackish water which is rich 

 in chlorides and sulphates but this is exceptional and probably limited to 

 desert forms hard put to it to find a more suitable spot. 



The eggs of the Odonata are either small, creamy, opaque objects 

 or they may be of a brownish hue as seen in some of the larger 

 Gomphines. As a rule they are oval in shape but some of the Gomphines 

 are slightly flattened and markedly fusiform in shape. They may be 

 deposited singly or in masses, the latter applying especially to those that 

 descend into the water for the purpose of laying eggs. In these, they 



