120 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



On May 23rd the insect was out in large numbers along the 

 river towards Giessen ; it was then immature. On May 25th I 

 expected to find it plentiful again, but the result of a morning's 

 search revealed a single female only, and I never saw the 

 dragonfly again. 



Evidently most of the life of this species is spent far from 

 water, but when and where ovipositing takes place remains a 

 mystery to me. 



Lindenia forcipata, Linn. — I took two males of this remark- 

 able species ; one rather immature one on June 27th on the 

 banks of the Lahn, and another mature one on September 19th 

 near the Southern Eailway Station. In addition to these, I 

 believe I saw another male at the pond by the Lahn on July 8th. 



The habit of the male is to settle repeatedly on the bare 

 ground. Its flight is rapid, but it is not shy, and can easily be 

 taken in the net. The species is quite unique with regard to its 

 anal appendages, which are turned in at right angles to each 

 other. 



ALschna cijanea, Miill. — To my surprise this species was most 

 uncommon, but in hotter summers it is no doubt very plentiful. 

 I took the first male on August 26th ; on September 9th the 

 males were plentiful at the pond near the Southern Eailway 

 Station. In the marsh I took two males. On September 19th 

 the species was by no means over, and it probably lasts till the 

 beginning of November in favourable weather. 



M. grandis, Linn. — Undoubtedly common and well distri- 

 buted in Europe, M. grandis was also extremely plentiful at 

 Marburg. On August 3rd the first specimen (a female) turned 

 up, and on the same date I found an empty nymph-case. 



When ovipositing, it was no difficult matter to catch the 

 female, but the male would always fly rapidly backwards and 

 forwards in the centre of the pond, very seldom settling on the 

 banks; and here it was impossible to net, for if the least attempt 

 was made to approach it, it would fly off at once. While on the 

 wing it would occasionally give a large swoop over terra Jirma, 

 and then it was the collector's only chance. 



lE. isosceles, Miill. — I hardly expected to find this magnificent 

 dragonfly ; but one hot afternoon in June (the exact date was 

 June 28th) I saw a fine male hovering and circling over the pond 

 near the Southern Eailway Station. With the small net 1 had 

 with me, it was no easy matter to catch it, although I repeatedly 

 got nearly within striking distance. After flying lazily over the 

 water, the insect would settle on a reed and remain there some 

 time. When approached from in front it was very shy, but from 

 behind I once got within easy striking distance — but my stroke 

 was a bungling one, and off soared the beautiful creature over the 

 trees, leaving me with the impression that I was not going to 

 see it again. But within five minutes it was again hovering 



