lO Britisli Dragonflics. 



also afford numerous specimens of fossil Odonnta, but 

 the Post-Tertiary, although gradually gliding into recent 

 formations, are singularly wanting in Neuropterous 

 remains. Kirby enumerates 103 species of fossil 

 Odonata!^ 



Of recent Dragonflies, Linnaeus knew only fifty-six 

 species in the middle of last centur}'. Baron de Sel}'s 

 Longchamps gave 1344 as the total in 1871. In 1890 

 Kirby could bring the list up to 1800, and thought that 

 the number might be quadrupled if only the group were 

 more thoroughly worked. The total for Europe is 

 Just over a hundred, while in Britain there are 

 forty, one of which, however, Sympctrum fonscolombii, 

 and probably another, 6". flaveoluin, are only occasional 

 visitors, whilst a third, S. vulgcxtum, if present at all, can 

 with difficulty be distinguished from ^\ striolatuiu. Of 

 the remaining thirty-seven, one or two are so rare that 

 a locality can scarcely be assigned for them, but the 

 majority of the rest one might fairly expect to catch 

 in two or three seasons by collecting in various districts. 

 In addition to the forty referred to, there are seven 

 species that are recorded as having occurred a long 

 time since, usualh' as single specimens, and in one case 

 at least with \ery doubtful authenticit}\ Not one of 

 these can be looked upon now, at any rate, as British 

 species. Whether others remain to be discovered in the 

 British Isles cannot, of course, be said ; but the likelihood 

 does not seem great, and it must be confessed that in 

 all probability future changes in the total number of 

 species of British Dragonfiies must be looked for in 

 the way of decrease only. 



* " Synonymic Cataloj^ue of Ncuioptera Odonata," by W. F. Kirby, 1890. 



