Li bell II la. 1 21 



colour as it becomes adult. The male figured in 

 Charpentier's " Libellulin;e rAiropcU;^;," t. 2, is immature. 



Variation. 



It was once considered that the suffusion at the tip 

 of the wings was a mark of variation ; but though this 

 brown patch certainlx" \-aries somewhat in size it must 

 be looked upcjn as a sexual distinction, it being alwax's, 

 or nearh' alwa_\-s, present in the female, and absent, or 

 but \er}- slightl}- indicated, in the male. As in L. qiiadri- 

 i/iac/i/nta, the wings are sometimes suffused to a greater 

 ■or less extent with a saffron tint, especiall\- near the 

 costal margin. 



Time. 



Certainl}' from June to August, but whether earlier 

 than June is not clear. 



Distribution. 



Idiough seldom captured, this species is in all 

 probabilit}' generalh- distributed, but it is rare in the 

 South of England. That it ma)- often escape notice 

 is easil\- understood, for imless a near view were 

 obtained it would with difficult)- be distinguished 

 from L. (/r/'/rsstr, Orthctniin caiici'llatinn, and possibl)- 

 O. cccrulcsccus, and as its capture is not an eas)- matter, 

 no doubt its resemblance to these insects often does 

 proxe its safeguard. Recorded captures ma)- almost be 

 counted on one's fingers. The\- are : Kent : A female 

 at Kingsdown, near Deal, in 1881 : C. G. Hall ; a 

 rather worn adult male near Sandwich, on August 22, 

 -1 898 i \\\ J. L.I. Suffolk: A single specimen at 



