114 [May, 



NEUBOPTERA (IN THE LINNEAN SENSE) FROM 



INVEENESS-SHIRE. 



BY KENNETH J. MORTON, F.E.S. 



In the sunmier of 1915, Neuropfera (in the Liunean sense), were 

 collected in the Lochaber District of Inverness-shire in the sector 

 whose radii are the rivers Trieg and Spean. Our time was from 1st 

 to 26th July. Rain (or on one or two occasions, blinding liail- showers) 

 fell I believe every day, fortunately vai-ying as regards quantity, time, 

 and duration, the result being that practically no day was throughout 

 too bad for collecting work. The change was interesting and almost 

 refreshing after several summer holidays spent in Provence, Spain, 

 and elsewhere, with almost unbroken sunshine. Mr. William Evans 

 joined us towards the end of our stay, and his enthusiasm and wider 

 outlook often took us out of our Neuropterous groove into other 

 fields of observation. 



The locality, which lies to the north-east of the Ben Nevis range, 

 is a good one, and no doubt harbours practically all that is most 

 interesting in our alpine and sub-alpine insect fauna. Our collecting 

 was mainly done between about 600 feet and 1,000 feet, owing to the 

 usually prevailing bad weather, Oiu- only excursion to the high 

 ground began under brilliant sunshine, but before the day was far 

 advanced it broke down in heavy sleet showers, and our collecting was 

 without satisfactory results. 



On July 2nd rain had fallen most of the day, but towards evening 

 the sun was streaming into the glen down which we were passing. 

 The movements of a large dragon-fly attracted attention, and on 

 getting nearer we at once detected a ^ Aeschna coerulea settled in its 

 characteristic way on a barkless bleached pine stump — a beautiful 

 example of an old acquaintance of our excursions in Glen Loehay, 

 Eannoch, and the Dovrefjeld. The exact hour was 6.20 p.m. A few 

 minutes later another was secured. The species continued in evidence 

 during the whole of our stay, most frequently in the same glen. 

 A remarkable circumstance was the apparent scarcity of females. 

 A few occurred early in the month, only one was taken, and later hardly 

 any were seen at all. It seems to me, therefoi-e, that where we took 

 most of this species was mei*ely their feeding ground and not near 

 their breeding haunts. From the higher ground one could see away 

 to the east a great expanse of peaty moor, dotted with pools and 

 lochans, and these may be the early home of Aeschna coerulea in this 

 district. 



