226 British Dragonflies. 



streak on the basal part of each segment except the 

 tenth ; outside the lateral lines the ground-colour is a 

 little darker ; on each side of the mid-dorsal pale line 

 on each segment is a small dark spot, and there are 

 four similar ones on the dorsal part of each suture. 

 Lateral aual appendages three-edged, 12mm. long ; middle 

 one flat, 8mm. long ; all with about three dark bands, 

 [udging from the small size of some specimens captured 

 in the spring, this species must be more than a year 

 reaching maturity. The nymphs should be sought for 

 at the roots of reeds, and it would seem where the 

 bottom is rather muddy. When resting on the weeds 

 in confinement they are very difficult to see, and look 

 like little pieces of decaying stems or broken sticks. 

 They often rest flat on the mud, with their legs close 

 to their sides, everything then being in longitudinal 

 lines, e\en including the pale markings on head and 

 thorax, and on the edges of the wing-cases. In this 

 position they put one in mind of stick-like water-bugs. 

 The appendages are often kept closed together, or 

 nearly so. [Described from Surrey specimens.] 



Date. 



Towards the middle of May this species begins to 

 appear on the wing in Surrey, the earliest date noticed 

 being May 10. Thence it continues till quite the end 

 of July, and a female was captured in Berkshire as late 

 as August 19, in 1897. It is usually at its best in 

 June. 



Habits. 



Whilst C. virgo appears to frequent the low bushes 

 tliat overhang the streams, C. splendens seems to prefer 



