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 The breeding habits of some of our Dragonflies. 



H\ W'.m. T. Davis. 



In the March number of the American Naturalist, Mr. F. E. Todd 

 gives an interesting account of the breeding habits of some Dakota 

 dragonflies. A species closely resembling Lestes imguiculata was ob- 

 served by him crawling down the stems of plants to a depth of several 

 feet in a clear pool. 



I myself have observed various species of "mallet headed'' dragon- 

 flies under water, clinging to plant stems, and once — but only once — I 

 saw a female Aeschna go below the surface of a slow flowing spring. It 

 was on the 21st of October and about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, when 

 I observed this dragonfly partly immersed, but it soon crawled further 

 down the stick until it was entirely under water and near the bottom of 

 the pool which was quite shallow. This insect 1 have before me now 

 and I take it to be Aeschna verticalis, Hagen. It is a bedraggled speci- 

 men and probably was near the end of its days even if had not so un- 

 kindly terminated them. 



Some of the species of Aeschna seem pardal to running water and 

 I have noticed many flying up and down a brook in the fall, but have 

 never noticed the same insects about the ponds in the vicinity. It is 

 probable, however, that only a few of the large headed dragonflies go 

 below the surface to lay their eggs, as we often see them dipping their 

 abdomens as they fly close to the water. 



Mr. Uhler says: "LibcUula auripetinis I have often seen laying eggs 

 and I think I was not deceived in my observation that she dropped a 

 bunch of eggs into the open ditch while balancing herself just a little 

 way above the surface of the water. " 



Are Curculio Larvae Lignivorous? 



Dear Sir: 



Mr. Knaus, in the last Bulletin, p. 150, seems rather to enquire 

 whether curculio larvoe live upon dead or decaying wood, than to quest- 

 ion their feeding upon the woody tissues of living plants. So far as my 

 experience goes, it seems beyond doubt that, in addition to such genera 

 as Hylobuis and Pissodcs which infest living plants, there are species 

 which breed in dead wood. I have observed Magdalis barbita. oviposit- 

 ing in fallen hickory {Carya a mar a) and have taken larva;, pupae, and 



