is.^4.] 261 



ApHNJETJS VICTORIA, Sp. 01. 



Wings below of a decided sulphur-yellow colour, excepting towards the internal 

 margins ; the silver markings in the bands slender and rather dull, borders of the 

 bands on the primaries and towards costa of secondaries thick, and, for the most 

 part, black, oblique post-median band of primaries slightly curved, not single at its 

 inferior extremity, costal spot beyond it further away, abbreviated discal band dis- 

 tinctly sigmoidal instead of straight ; no sub-apical spot ; two sub-marginal lines 

 thick and near together ; sub-basal markings very strongly defined with partly black 

 and partly red borders ; oblique elbowed post-median band excepting at costa with 

 very slender margins ; abbreviated band elbowed and almost divided, a spot at costa 

 being separated from the main body by a black oblique line ; inner sub-marginal line 

 black, straight, outer line abbreviated, and only remaining at apex. 



Expanse of wings, 37 mm. 

 Victoria Nyanza. 



It will be seen that in some respects these two species are more 

 like one another than like A. natalensis : the differences are such as 

 have been proved to be constant iu this genus, and as such have been 

 used even by men holding the expansive views touching the variability of 

 species of the late W. C. Hewitson : I think I need say no more than 

 that to establish their claim to separate attention : of A. natalensis 

 we have six examples from Natal, besides those in Hewitson's collection. 



British Museum : March, 1884. 



THE BEITISH DEAaON-FLIES ANNOTATED. 



BY ROBERT McLACHLAN, F.R.S., &c. 



In the " Catalogue of British Neuroptera,''' published by the 

 Entomological Society of London in 1S70, were enumerated 4G spe- 

 cies of British Dragon-fiies {Odonafa). That list was practically based 

 upon Dr. Hagen's " Synopsis," published in the " Entomologist's 

 Annual" for 1857, with the addition of one species {Leucorrliinia 

 pectoralis), and the subtraction of another (SomatocJilora metallicd) . 

 The number remains at 46* — SomatocTilora metallica has been dis- 

 covered in Scotland, whereas Sympetrum vulgatum and striolatum are 

 united as repi'esenting only one species. But the claims of some 

 species to be considered " British " rest on very slender grounds ; in 

 one or two cases on single specimens captured 70 or 80 years ago. 

 It therefore occurred to me that it might be useful (and perhaps 

 serve as an impetus to observers) if a brief annotated list of our species 

 were drawn up ; an idea that has resulted in the following notes. 



•A writer in the "Midland Naturalist" for 1882 estimates the number of known British 

 species at about 200 ! ! 



