1 36 British Dmgoiijiics. 



Date. 



At Strathglass this Dragonfly was found on the 

 wing in July and August. In Belgium, according to 

 De Selys, it occurs as early as the middle of May. 



Habits. 



" S. nictallica was found, from hints given to me b}- 

 the late Dr. Buchanan White, at a mountain loch in 

 Strathglass. I spent o\er a fortnight in search of it 

 every day, but although I saw many specimens, I 

 found it very difficult to capture, as it has a habit of 

 hovering and flying well o\'er the surface of the loch 

 away from the edges. At times the males gave a large 

 sweep round, at which time it was the collector's 

 opportunity of netting the beautiful creature. I only 

 saw one female, and this I captured /// copula with a 

 male. Copulation took place over the water, and then 

 the pair made for the side, but my net was in the way, 

 and now the)' both grace my cabinet. About five miles 

 from the above localit}' I captured a male fl>'ing in a 

 ditch in a wood otwards the middle of .August. This 

 specimen was somewhat faded." (J. J. F. X. King, in litt.) 



Distribution. 



This insect had for a long time been on the British 

 list in consequence chiefl}-, if not entireU^ of Harris' 

 very uncertain figure in his " Exposition of British 

 Insects," which figure too he himself names iciica, and 

 which is probabl)' intended for that insect. In 1869, 

 however, Dr. Buchanan White captured some Dragon- 

 flics, wliich he found not rare, about some of the lochs 

 in Strathglass, in Inverness-shire. lie took them to be 



