1919.] 145 '?• 



the lower Euphrates in January and Februarj^ and IscJinura evansi is 

 already out in February and March, Anax and Heinittriol'xk'heia^ also 

 in evidence early in the latter month. . ^ " ' ' 



The dragon-fly fauna of lower Mesopotamia is probably not exten- 

 sive, the drying up of the marshes in the great summer heat having no 

 doubt the effect of restricting it to such species as can accommodate 

 themselves to this condition or can use the large rivers and u-rigation 

 canals as alternative breeding waters. It is to the more elevated parts 

 of the country that one must look for fresh additions to the lists. 



In the notes that follow I have quoted freely observations made by 

 Captain Evans on many of the species taken by him as recorded in his 

 letters home. These seem worthy of preservation, and may serve to 

 make the list more useful than if it were confined to a bare enumeration 

 of the species taken. Having regard to the extent of his collections in 

 other orders (to say nothing of plants) it might be thought that dragon- 

 flies received but a small share of attention. But the care and accviracy 

 with which these and other things have been handled, and the magnitude 

 of the collections as a whole, tend rather to convince me that no species 

 of dragon-fly that was seen has escaped incorporation ! It is of signifi- 

 cance that so keen and experienced an entomologist as Captain Buxton, 

 working in the same district, does not appear to have met with any 

 additional species. Lieutenant Barraud found Trithemis annulata at 

 Basra, a species which is absent from the other collections. 



1. — Synipycna paedisca annulata Selys. 



2 c? c? , 2 2 $ , November 6-18th, 1917 ; 6 d c? , 6 $ $ , April 

 28th, May 5-6th and 12th ( Amara) ; 1 J , 1 ? , November 30th, 1918, 

 Jebel Hamrin, N.E. of Baghdad (£vans) ; also 1 d , Amara, May 14th, 

 1918 {Buxton). Those of April 28th are the most immature. The 

 examples show little variation in the bronze markings ; some of them 

 have a tooth-like marking projecting from the outer edge of the bronze 

 median line on the thorax. 



Evans wrote 20.iv.l8 : "These were not abundant and were 

 usually observed singly resting on grass in similar situations to those 

 described for Crocothemis servilia. None have been observed this year; 

 all the specimens seen occurred last autumn." 5.V.18: " This dragon- 

 fly was first seen this season on April 26th resting among long grass 

 in a palm garden on the left (north) bank of the Tigris above Amara. 

 To-day I got three specimens among grass by the side of the Masharra 

 Canal. The specimens are found singly, and are not yet numerous. 



o 



