DRAGON FLIES OF THE cmiBERLAND VALLEY IN 

 KENTUCKY AND TENNESSEE. 



By Charles Branch Wilson, 



0/ the Department of Biology, State Normal School, Westfield, Massachusetts. 



INTRODUCTORY. 



During the summer of 1911 the author traveled nearly the entire 

 length of the Cumberland River in the interests of the United States 

 Bureau of Fisheries. While the party was studying especially the 

 fresh-water mussels of the river, there were frequent and excellent 

 opportunities for collecting the Odonata. 



These opportunities were improved as far as possible, and a list is 

 here presented of the different species obtained, together with their 

 observed range and habits. This is the first attempt, so far as known, 

 to report the dragon flies of this jDarticular locality, and it must of 

 necessity be very mcomplete, but it is hoped that it may at least form 

 a foundation for future observation, and give a general idea of the 

 odonate fauna of the region. Having had previous experience with 

 river collecting, a small .22-cahber rifle and cartridges loaded with 

 dust shot were provided in addition to the usual collectmg outfit. 

 Such species as could not be secured m any other way were brought 

 down with the dust shot. These were usually mutilated and of no 

 use for museum purposes, but scarcely one of them was injured enough 

 to render it mcapable of identification, which is all that is required 

 for determining the fauna of the valley. The general itinery of the 

 trip, so far as the Odonata were concerned, was as follows: Starting 

 at JelHco, Tennessee, June 28, 1911, on the Clear Fork of the Cumber- 

 land River, the party worked the upper portion of the river as far 

 down as Burnside, Kentucky, from various railroad centers. Thence 

 they proceeded by boat down the river through Kentucky and mto 

 Tennessee as far as Clarksville, a distance from Jelhco of about 600 

 miles. Side trips were also made up all the tributary rivers, streams, 

 and creeks of any size. Constant watch was kept for both dragon 

 flies and damsel flies, and specimens were collected at different 

 places on the river bank in addition to the specimens taken from the 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. 43- No. 1928. 



189 



