16 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



ment. Large numbers of white butterflies (Pieris hmssicce and 

 P. rapce) were flying across the water ; these the Ana.v attacked, 

 and having caught them, either divested them of a wing or two, 

 or maimed them in a way I was unable to make out exactly, 

 and then let them fall into the water without eating them ; the 

 detached wings were also let fall. I am not convinced, however, 

 that this was a mere act of cruelty ; it seems to me that there 

 must be some reason for this habit, and there are two possible 

 solutions — (1) that the maimed insects are dropped into the 

 water for the female to eat while she is ovipositing, and more 

 probably (2) that they are dropped there for the young nymphs 

 to feed on. Unfortunately I observed no females in Sussex, and 

 I was unable to collect any of the maimed butterflies, owing to 

 their having been dropped a long way from the water's edge. 



The two females taken in Hertfordshire were ovipositing by 

 dipping the abdomen deep into the water while at rest on weed. 

 The green colour of the female renders her almost invisible while 

 ovipositing, and is without doubt protective. 



Brachytron pratense, Miill., was plentiful at the Marston 

 Ferry, near Oxford, in May and early in June. The female 

 oviposits by dipping the tip of the abdomen at random into the 

 water while flying along. 



Mschna cyanea, Miill. — Common in Sussex and Hertford- 

 shire during August and September, but much less common 

 than usual in the latter locality. 



^E. grandis, Linn., was out in considerable numbers at 

 Shenley, Herts, in an immature condition on July 22nd. It was 

 common in that locality and in Sussex during August. It was 

 still abundant at Shenley on September 17th. 



In addition to these Anisopteridse, Sympetrum sangnineum, 

 Miill., was almost certainly seen near Tunbridge ^Yells on 

 August 4th. Mr. K. J. Morton visited Carnarvonshire a short 

 time after I left in June, and very kindly sent me specimens of 

 0. ccendcsccns and .E. juncca, from Capel Curig. 



Eleven species of Zygopterids came under my notice : — 



Calopteryx virgo, Linn. — Tbis very beautiful insect was found 

 plentifully flying about bushes and in the meadows round several 

 lakes in the neighbourhood of Capel Curig, Carnarvonshire. I 

 found one specimen dead in a spider's web, but I am doubtful if 

 it lost its life through the agency of the tenant of the web, who 

 w^as absent when I found the dragonfly. I observed the insect 

 at the end of June. 



C. splendens, Harris, was, as usual, abundant on the Thames 

 at Oxford in May and June. 



Lestes sponsa, Hans. — Near Tunbridge Wells this dragonfly 

 was found in swarms during August. When flying over the 

 water in the presence of Somatochlora metallica, it made darts at 

 the thorax of the latter insect as it flew along, dazzled, perhaps. 



