1884.] 255 



ample (said to haye been taken in the New Forest) was in Stephens' collection (now 

 in the British Museum) ; a second was recorded from Leach's collection. Doubleday 

 recorded it from Epping. 



Lestes barlara, ¥. — Still more doubtful. According to De Seljs (1846) a $ in 

 the Dublin Museum was believed to have been taken in Ireland. 



Flatycnemis pennipes, Pallas. — Needs no comment. 



Ischnura pumilio, V. d. Lind. — I have seen no recent British examples. Used 

 to be taken not uncommonly in Dorset by J. C Dale. Eecorded also from Cambridge 

 and Belfast. Parfitt recorded it (Transactions of the Devonshire Association, 1879) 

 as common near Exeter, but upon enquiry I found he had made a wrong identifica- 

 tion. It is a species of somewhat meridional distribution, but is also alpine. I found 

 several examples close to the St. Grothard Hospice, therefore at an elevation of about 

 6500 feet. 



Ischnura elegans, V. d. Lind. — Needs no comment. 



JEnallagma cyathigerum, Charp. — Needs no comment. 



Agrion pulchellnm, V. d. Lind. — Local, but probably generally distributed. 



Agrion puella, L. — Needs no comment. 



Agrion mercuriale, Charp.- — Probably not uncommon in the New Forest. I 

 once found it there in some abundance, but did not succeed in refinding it on the 

 occasion of two flying visits. 



Pyrrhosoma minium, Harris. — Needs no comment. 



Pyrrhosoma tenellum,Yi[\erB. — This essentially South European insect is very 

 abundant on some of the extensive heaths of the south of England. 



Erythromma najas, Hans. — Local in the south of England. Also recorded from 

 Belfast. 



Of the foregoing 46 species, I regard eight as only casual visitors 

 or otlierivise doubtful. There is no evidence whatever that Leucor- 

 rliinia pectoraUs, Sympetrum meridionale and Fonscolomhii, Onychogom- 

 flius forcipatus, and Gomphus Jlavipes, breed in Britain. There is the 

 strongest evidence that two or three of these w'ere casual immigrants, 

 and the origin of the specimens on which others are included in our 

 list cannot be traced. AVith regard to Lestes viridis, virens, and 

 barbara, the case is slightly different. These insects could scarcely 

 fly over, and everything depends upon the authenticity, as British, of 

 the examples upon which the species have been included. In placing 

 X. virens in this category, I am aware that a doubt is cast upon the 

 late Henry Doubleday's discrimination, owing solely to the great diffi- 

 culty that often attends the determination of the species of Lestes. 

 I never saw Mr. Doubleday's Dragon-flies, and it is possible that had 

 I seen them in 1871, 1 might then have arrived at no satisfactory con- 

 clusion with regard to L. virens. 



In Mr. Doubleday's Epping list he alluded to having seen a 



