i!)oo.] 109 



which is situated on the Solway in Kirkcudbrightshire, and while it 

 is probable that the results of his collecting, as far as the Lepidoptei'a 

 at least are concerned, may have been made known in some shape or 

 other through scientific channels, I doubt if anything has been pub- 

 lished elsewhere on the dragon-flies of the district. T accordingly 

 give his note on these insects in full. He makes no reference to the 

 other Neiiroptera -. — 



" This Order has been neglected ; but from the nature o£ the 

 country, Colvend should be a rich field to the Neuropterologist. The 

 following occur : — 



LibelJula q^iiadrimaculata. Calopterycc virgo. 



„ coerulescens. Lestes nympha. 



,, scotica. Agrion minium. 



jSSschna juncea. „ cyathigerumy 



„ grandis. 

 From what I can gather, Dr. White's view as to the probable 

 productiveness of the district is well founded. At least half a dozen 

 lakes still exist, while there are also the partially drained remnants of 

 others, and considerable peat-mosses. 



In the Annals of Scot. Nat. Hist., 1899, p. 29, I indicated that a 

 number of species recorded by Hagen (after De Selys) from Scotland 

 had been lost sight of. Two of these were ^. grandis and O. coeru- 

 lescens. Looking at Dr. White's wide knowledge, there can be no 

 reasonable doubt as to the correctness of his identification of two 

 such conspicuous insects, and the record, though getting somewhat 

 old, is decidedly interesting. With regard to L. nympha the case is 

 rather different, and the question of its occurrence may be left open 

 in the meantime. 



In view of the more general interest created in these insects by 

 the appearance of Mr. Lucas' attractive book, it may be desirable to 

 examine more closely into the foundation of these old records of De 

 Selys and Hagen. Th'e former made a journey in England, Scotland, 

 and Ireland, in the summer of 1845, and in the Annals and Magazine 

 of Nat. Hist.,vol. xviii,pp. 217— 227 (1846), he published a " Revision 

 of British Libellulidce." The extent of his own observations are, I 

 think, summed up in the following passage: — "I must, however, 

 remark that on visiting, from July loth to 25th, several apparently 

 very favourable localities in Scotland, and that in very fine weather, I 

 was much surprised not to see there, so to speak, any Libellulido', 

 except ^schna juncea in small numbers, and some Lihellula scotica, 

 Agrion minium, jyuJchellum, cyathigerum, and elegans, and, moreover, 



