]^g() ■ [August, 



Evans remarks (.J. ix.l91S) : " This insect does not sit in the same 

 perky position as Selysiothemis nigra with the ahdomen turned up at 

 an angle of ahnost 45° to the plane of the wings. The three seen to-day 

 sat low down near the ground, the abdomen not being elevated at all." 



With the exception of the male from Jebel Hamrin, all the above 

 specimens are of rather small size, the length of the hind wings being 

 only about 19-20 mm. Kis lays stress on size in comparing this species 

 with D. nebulosa, but the measurements just quoted are hardly in excess 

 of those of the latter species. Structural differences between the two are 

 not clear, and there remains only the well-defined dark wing apex of 

 D. nebulosa contrasted with the diffuse clouding and that not always 

 present in the mature male of I), lefehvrei. 



15. — Sympetrum ilecoloratum Selys. 



A series ( S 6 and 2 2) from Amara, November 8th-24th, 1917, 

 and May 2nd-6th, June -Ith, and October 19th, 1918; also 6 6 and 

 2 2 Jebel Hamrin, November 17th-22nd, 1918 {Evans); 1 6 Qurnah, 

 May 17th, 1918 {Buxton) ; S S and 2 2 Basrah, October 22nd, 

 November lst-25th, 1918 {Barraud). 



First observed by Captain Evans on November 7th in an open space 

 in a palm garden on the Masharra Canal close to Amara. They were 

 sunning themselves on the leaves of the date palms and were lively and 

 difficult to catch. The males were, when seen at a distance, red on the 

 dorsal surface and easily distinguished, when resting, by this. During 

 the following few weeks stray specimens were seen in other pahii gardens, 

 but the numbers observed (probably several hundreds) together at their 

 first appearance were never again met with that season. With regard to 

 the spring emergence, Evans (5. v. 1918) writes: "The weather suddenly 

 became much hotter on May 2nd. This species and Orlhetrtim sabina 

 and O. trinacria appeared together on that day. Both 6 and 2 are, 

 when alive, yellowish in colour ; the 6 rather more deep in colour than 

 the 2 1 which tends to have a greenish tinge. The sexes can usually be 

 distinguished even on the wing in this way, and are about in equal 

 numbers ; though on the day they were first seen they were for the most 

 part separated, the females being mostly in a different locality from the 

 males. Yesterday I was in the fields h'ing between the palm gardens 

 and the flooded margin of the Masharra Canal, forming an irrigated 

 strip about 50 to 100 yards wide — just as the sun set. Suddenl}', as the 

 direct rays ceased, there arose from the vegetation a cloud of this dragon- 



