-i65- 



Ent. i, 47) from Florkla. The other species enumerated by me in 

 the Revised Check List have been incompletely studied as to the 

 neuration. The species are most numerous in the south of Europe, 

 where they are found on chalky or sandy districts, and it is related 

 as characteristic of their habits, that, when alighting, after being 

 disturbed in the daytime, they move their wings up and down sev- 

 eral times before assuming a position of repose. 



The European genera Phothedes Led., Mesotrosta Led., Hceme- 

 rosia Boisd., Megalodes Gw^w., with single species, have not been 

 as yet recognized in North America. The tribe is represented in 

 the European fauna by nine genera and forty-six species. In the 

 Revised Check List I have given the names of sixteen genera and 

 seventy-three North American species of Eustrotiini. 



Mode of Oviposition of certain species of Odonata. - 



BY WM. BEUTENMULLER. 



The female of Lihelhila, when laying eggs, ho\'ers over the sur- 

 face of the water and in coming in close proximity to the same, bal- 

 ances herself by the very rapid motion of her wings, curves her 

 body downward and dips the tip of her abdomen into the water at 

 short intervals, at the same time deposits from 25 to 40 eggs, 

 which are surrounded by an invisible glutinous substance secreted 

 at oviposition by means of which they adhere to aquatic plants, 

 sticks, stones, or any other object they may come in contact with at 

 the bottom of the water. In order to ascertain the number of eggs 

 laid at each time the female LibelliUa dips her abdomen into the 

 water. I captured at different times several specimens of Libellula 

 attripennis and L. pidchella in act of ovipositing and held together 

 their fore wing, allowing the hind wing to remain free and in action 

 while I dipped the tip of their abdomen into a small vial filled with 

 water and in\-ariably at each dip about the same number of eggs as 

 alluded to above were deposited. This experiment was repeated 

 until the supply of eggs of my specimen for the time being was 

 exhausted and the results were always the same. 



The eggs leave the orifice of the oviduct in rapid succession, 

 and are withheld in a bunch in the shallow depression at the tip of 

 the abdomen until the same comes in contact with the water, then 

 the eggs become separated while sinking, but become concentrated 

 again at the bottom of the water by means of the glutinous substance 

 which surrounds them. 



As reoards mv observation on the mode of oviposition ot Li- 



