AMONG THE DRAGONFLIES IN 1898. 87 



Seldom have I had the pleasure of witnessing a more inte- 

 resting sight than the cloud of dragonflies that rose and filled 

 the air as I approached the sunny banks of the Mole and neigh- 

 bouring pools at Esher on May 14th. All but one specimen 

 belonged to the remote-eyed section, Agrionina, but of these there 

 were countless individuals of several species, among them being 

 Calopteryx splendens, Harris, Pyrrhosoma minium., Harris, and 

 Agrion puella, Linn., at least. These being all slow flyers, one 

 was able to admire to the full the gorgeous colours of their bodies, 

 or, in the case of C. splendens, the rich green or blue gauze of 

 their wings. The last is indeed a glorious insect, but withal a 

 clumsy one, and in my opinion not able to compare in grace of 

 form with many of the members of the other section, Libellulina, 

 One only of this section was taken that day, a good specimen of 

 Brachytron pratense, Miiller, which after being followed for some 

 considerable time up and down the margin of a pool which it had 

 chosen to haunt, and from which, after the manner of P. de- 

 pressum, it was not easily scared, was at last secured. 



On May 22nd the Black Pond was alive with L. quadri- 

 maculata, but they were not easily captured, while its banks 

 swarmed with the smaller Agrioninse, most of them heing A. paella 

 I also took one specimen of Cordtdia cenca, Linn., flying near the 

 edge of the pond, and on May 28th saw two others, but could not 

 catch them. 



On July 28th I took Mschna grandis, Linn., in Bagley Wood, 

 Berks, and, in the same locality, an /E. cyanea, Miiller, on 

 August 2Gth. 



On August 17th a few males of the genus Calopteryx were 

 still flying over the surface of the Wye at Symond's Yat, and 

 after some difficulty one was secured. 



On Sept. 9th, in Bagley Wood, Berks, a male M. cyanea was 

 sighted hawking along the side of a hedge. It presently made 

 for a small butterfly, which looked like Polyommatiis phlo;as, and 

 after circling round it several times, as if for the purpose of 

 examination, secured it, and then began wildly careering about, 

 as if rejoiced at its own dexterity. While thus engaged, a wing 

 of the butterfly was seen to fall, and presently M. cyanea settled 

 on the hedge, where it appeared to be further stripping its captive. 

 I shortly afterwards caught the dragonfly, and found the body of 

 the butterfly still between its jaws. 



After some weeks' absence I again visited the Black Pond at 

 Esher on Sept. 13th, and three specimens of Sympetrum scoticum, 

 Don., were taken, two males and a female. The same day a 

 specimen of A. puella was caught. About the same day I 

 received a living female of .:K. cyanea. 



On Sept. 17th several S. scoticum were seen (three taken) by 

 the side of the Black Pond. They were not much in evidence 

 when the sun was not shining, and even when on the wing did 



