1884. J 253 



does not breed there. Its liability to have the well known red Acari attached to 

 the wings (sometimes in enormous numbers) is so marked as to be almost a specific 

 character of the insect itself, few specimens being entirely free from them. 



Sympetrum Fonscolombii, Selys. — Another " casual." A $ was detected by 

 De Selys in Stephen/8' collection, and therefore appears to have acquired the usual 

 "near London " as a locality. A <? (erroneously recorded by me as S. vulgatum, cf. 

 Ent. Mo. Mag., v, p. 220) is in my collection, obtained at the sale of T. Desvignes' 

 collection, and of the precise origin of which I know nothing. Of very wide 

 southern distribution, extending to South Africa. 



Sympetrum flaveolum, L. — Local and " sporadic." In the year 1871 it was ex- 

 cessively abundant in the London District (I even saw several examples in the 

 Strand!). 



Sympetrum sangnineum, Miiller. — No doubt a common species (perhaps also 

 " sporadic ") in certain districts. I have never seen it alive in Britain ! 



Sympetrum scoticum, Donov. — A frequenter of moors, and no doubt more com- 

 mon in the north. 



Platetrum depressum, L. — Needs no comment. 



Lilelhda qtiadriinaculata, L. — Abundant in certain localities, general in certain 

 years. I am not aware that anything approaching the enormous migratory swarms 

 that often astonish our continental neighbours has ever been observed in Britain ; 

 the tendency is, however, manifested here in the unequal and uncertain distribution. 



LibeUula fidva, Miiller. — Possibly general in the southern portion of England, 

 never common, and always difficult to capture on account of its habits. I have 

 never noticed a British $ in the thoroughly " blue " condition seen in very adult 

 continental examples, and which gives them a so entirely distinct appearance. 

 Orthetrum ccerulescens, F. — Needs no comment. 



Orthetrum cancellatum, L. — Possibly confined to the southern half of England. 

 Often common about brick-holes in the London district. 



Sub-Fam. Corduliina. 



Somatochlora metalUca, V. d. L. — In 1869, Dr. Buchanan White took this 

 species in some numbers in Inverness-shire {cf. Ent. Mo. Mag., vii, p. 38) ; it has 

 since been taken in the same county by Mr. King. The name was previously in our 

 lists, but no doubt erroneously. Van der Linden misquoted a figure in Harris as 

 representing metallica, whereas, in all probability, it was intended for Cord, ccnea, 

 as stated by Harris. Stephens says, " it has been found within the metropolitan 

 district in June ;" I know not what has become of the specimen said to have been 

 in his cabinet, and from which Evans' very uncertain figure was taken ; probably 

 there was an error in identification. 



Somatochlora arctica, Zett. — The Highlands of Scotland (has also been recorded 

 from Killarney in Ireland). It was not uncommon during my visit to Rannoch in 

 June, 1865 (cf. Ent. Mo. Mag., ii, p. 118), but since that time other visitors to the 

 locality do not appear to have succeeded in finding it. 



Cordulia cenea, L. — Local in the southern counties of England. 



Od-ygastra Curtisii, Dale. — A species which, from its continental distribution, 



