^ [ January, 



was just on tbe landward side of tlie reed girdle ; after poising here 

 for a short interval they would dart rapidly forward a short distance, 

 this movement being repeated two or three times until they were just 

 beyond the line of the reeds over the open surface of the water ; then 

 a short flight would bring them back to the outward line, where by 

 careful stalking they might sometimes be secured. During the after- 

 noon flight four more were obtained. I could not make out any 

 particular object in this flight ; they did not seem to be feeding. It 

 was certainly a splendid manifestation of power. Pew of the 

 examples taken were in perfect order, but in the chase of Ancrx 

 parthenope we had enjoyed one of the most exciting forms of 

 Entomological sport. 



On the afternoon of the 5th an excursion to the Trichttjuhauser- 

 tobel on the Ziirichberg, proved, from the point of view of dragon-fly 

 collecting, a failure, the sun having become obscured soon after we 

 started. Cordulegaster bidentatus was the spec-ies we had in view ; it 

 was discovered here by Dr. Eis and had been taken by him this year 

 two or three weeks earlier. We were probably too late for it and the 

 weather was unpropitious ; in any case we did not see it, and the 

 dragon flies observed were all more or less common species. At a 

 tiny clear pond a multitude of nymph-skins of JEschna cyanea were 

 noticed with two imagos that had not yet taken flight. It is not 

 surprisirg in view of the ^schnid population of the pond that Lsch- 

 nura pumilio, which formei'ly occurred here, apjiears no longer to exist. 

 Although we had little to show for the afternoon's work, this fine 

 entomological locality, almost within the city of Ziirich, was well 

 worthy of a visit. 



Little was done on the 6th, and in the afternoon we proceeded 

 to Rheinau to spend a few days with Dr. Ris. Here field work was 

 pleasantly alternated with the examination of Dr. His' beautiful 

 collections of Neuroptem. 



The dragon-fly fauna of the Rhine, here a grand stream, is 

 naturally not an extensive one. The most interesting species is 

 Onychogomphus iincatm, an insect of southern distribution. It is 

 common between Rheinau and Ellikon, and was just appearing when 

 we were there. Along with it, but sparingly, Onycliogomphiis forci- 

 patus occurred. Calopteryx virgo, C. splendens, Platycnemis peniiipes, 

 and Enallagmu cyathiyerum are all found at or about the river. 

 Dr. Kis has also found once a (^ of Gomphus simillimus, but he regards 

 it in the light of a wanderer. 



{To be continued). 



