March, 1913-] Davis : Dragonflies OF New York City. 13 



Family AGRIONID^. 



Genus AGRION Fabricius. 

 A. maculatum Beauvois. 



Common along brooks in June, July and August, and generally 

 distributed. This dragonfly will fly from a twig or low plant by the 

 brook side, catch a tiny insect and return to the same station again. 

 They often come back to the same resting place many times in suc- 

 cession where they remain until some small insect attracts their atten- 

 tion and they sally forth to catch it. In this respect they resemble 

 the insect-catching phoebe bird and its relatives. Though usually a 

 slow flyer this species often indulges, when two males happen to meet, 

 in a very rapid aerial dance and at such times their bright colors 

 show to the best avantage. They will advance against each other, 

 dodge or recede, with remarkable rapidity and grace, but neither of 

 the combatants ever appears to be injured. It seems to be more 

 of an endurance test. 



A. sequabile Say. 



Bronx Park, N. Y. City, VI, 3; Newfoundland, N. J., V, 6, and 

 Great Notch, N. J., V, 30 (Davis) ; Long Island, VIII, 12 (Engel- 

 hardt). This is an addition to the New Jersey list. 



A. dimidiatum apicale Burmeister. 



Jamesburg, N. J., VII; Lakehurst, N. J., VI, VII. At the last 

 mentioned locality it is often quite common flying up and down the 

 larger ditches in the cranberry bogs. 



Genus HET^RINA Hagen, 

 H. americana Fabricius. 



Collected at Paterson, N. J., in September by John A. Grossbeck. 

 It has also been taken in Morris Co., N. J., by Dr. Calvert (N. J. 

 list). When found at all, it is usually present in considerable numbers 

 and flies up and down ditches and along the banks of slow flowing 

 rivers. 



Genus LESTES Leach. 

 L. eurinus Say. 



It has been taken on two occasions, June 18 and July 4 about a 

 small tree shaded pond on Staten Island. Riverdale, N. Y., VII 

 (Woodruff). 



