V. A LIST OF THE DRAGONFLIES 



RECORDED FROI\I THE INDIAN EMPIRE 



WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO 



THE COLLECTION OF THE 



INDIAN MUSEUM. 



Part I. The Family Calopterygidak. 



Bv F. F. Laidlaw, M.A. 



(Plate II). 



This is the first part of a series of papers in which I hope to 

 give a full list of the dragonflies of the Indian Empire. The number 

 of species occurring within the limits of the Empire is considerable, 

 as one would expect from the size of the area under consideration, 

 and from the great variety of physical conditions found in different 

 parts of the country. 



I hope that these papers will at least serve to show how little 

 is known of this fascinating group of insects, and will stimulate 

 those who are fortunate enough to have opportunities, to add to 

 what is known of them, both of their life-history and of their 

 distribution. 



The material used in drawing up the list is as follows : — 



Firstly, the large collection of the Indian Museum entrusted 

 to me for revision by Dr. Annandale. The collection contains a 

 very large number of specimens which have been named by the 

 late Baron de Selys. These specimens although unfortunately 

 often dilapidated have an historical value. 



Secondly, an extensive collection of several hundreds of speci- 

 mens sent to me by Mr. H. Stevens from Gopaldhara (Assam). 



Thirdly, additions made to the Indian Museum collection in 

 the last two years by members of the Museum staff. 



Note on Classification adopted, and on nomenclature. 



I follow here Needham in giving famil}^ rank to the first of 

 the two great divisions of existing zygopterous dragonflies (Need- 

 ham, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., XXVI, p. 742; 1903). 



This procedure is adopted by Ris in the paper quoted below, 

 and in other recent papers; by Muttkowski and others. 



Following the example set by Ris and Tilly ard, two amongst 

 the foremost entomologists of to-day, I retain for the family the 

 name Calopterygidae, using the term as synonymous with Selys' 



