56 [March, 



NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF ODONATA FROM VAN, 

 TUEKEY IN ASIA. 



BY KENNETH J. MORTON, F.E.S. 



Plate VIII. 

 By the courtesy of Professor J. J. Manissadjian, Merzifun, I 

 received a small collection of Odonata axid.Myrmeleonidae taken by him 

 at Van during June and July, 1912. Unfortunately I have no details 

 regarding- the nature of the precise localities in which the various species 

 were found, biit as I am not aware that any papers exist relating to the 

 Odonata of that particular region, the collection seems worthy of a 

 short notice. The Odonata alone are here dealt with. 



The vilayet of Van lies in the extreme east of Turkey-in-Asia and 

 its eastern boundary is Persia, while on the north it is separated by a 

 narrow part of Erzerum from the Russian Transcaucasian province of 

 Erivan. The winter is long and severe. The city of Van which, as is 

 well known, is of great archaeological and historical interest, lies at an 

 altitude of about 5,200 feet, H miles from the east shore of Lake Van. 

 The water of this lake is too salt to drink, but there is good water 

 along the coast from springs and streams. A canal 19 miles long irri- 

 gates the gardens of an extensive suburb lying to the east of the city . 



The European character of the Odonata is very striking, the only 

 species out of the ordinary rim being Sympetrum decoloratum and a 

 somewhat doubtful species of JEschna. It is very likely that 

 Professor Manissadjian gave more attention to other orders ; at the 

 same time the district is almost certainly poor in dragon-flies, comparing 

 in this respect unfavourably with the Transcaucasian provinces of 

 Russia, many of the interesting species reported by Bartenef from there 

 being absent in the present collection. The extreme variability found 

 in a long series of Agrion ornatum is of more than ordinary interest 

 and forms the principal object of the publication of these notes. 



Agrionid^e — Lestin^. 



Lestes dry as, Kirby. — Many examples of both sexes, mostly in 

 teneral condition (teneral $ $, 12. VII). 



Agrionin.^:. 



Ischnura pumilio, Charp. — A good series of both sexes ( § ? of 

 both forms, 18.VI). 



Enallagma cyathigerum, Charp. — 3 <$ <$ all of which agree in 

 having the footstalk of the marking on second abdominal segment 



