DRAGONFLIES IN 1898. 65 



Sept. 12th at Wisley Ponds, to capture a male JEschna mixta. 

 This small Mschna is accustomed to fly rather high round the 

 fir-trees, and so seldom gives one a chance to come within 

 striking distance. It is a pretty insect, the markings being par- 

 ticularly bright and distinct ; moreover, if it is eviscerated, it 

 fades but little. Though it was rather plentiful in 1898 in a 

 certain locality near the east coast, and appeared to be repre- 

 sented by not quite solitary specimens in two localities in Surrey, 

 yet I fear it must be looked upon as quite an uncommon insect. 



On Sept. 9th I paid a visit to Wisley Ponds, and after a time 

 noticed a small dull-reddish dragonfly, distinct amongst the 

 specimens of the common Sympetrum striolatum. On capturing 

 one it was found to be a male S.flaveolum. On that day and 

 the 12th I took several specimens, all of which were males. It 

 is a small Sympetrum, whose flight is not long sustained, but 

 resembles that of S. sanguineum. When captured it may be 

 easily recognised by the fact that the basal third (sometimes 

 more or less) of the hind wings and a part of the fore wings are 

 suffused with bright saffron. Another was seen later near 

 Elstead, in Surrey; while a capture was made near Oxford, and 

 another near Colchester. In all probability they formed part of 

 a migration into this county, for this species seldom, if ever, 

 breeds here. 



On previous occasions I have called attention to the capture 

 of dragonflies by the insect traps set by Drosera rotundvfolia. 

 On June 22nd, at the Black Pond, near Esher, my attention was 

 taken by a bed of this plant, which had secured quite a number 

 of the smaller dragonflies. Those identified were one Pyrrhosoma 

 nymphala, one Agrion puella, and a number of Enallagma cyathi- 

 gerum. All were males 



On Sept. 11th, at the larger of the Penn Ponds, in Eichmond 

 Park, one or two females of the large brown dragonfly, Mschna 

 grandis, were observed to be ovipositing in the shallow water 

 close to the margin. This they did by settling either on a 

 floating weed, or on one that stood but little out of the water, 

 and then bending the abdomen so as to dip its extremity per- 

 pendicularly below the surface. The operation seemed to be 

 performed deliberately, as if the eggs were being carefully placed, 

 which they no doubt were, and which is suggested by the 

 possession of an ovipositor by this dragonfly, and by the cylin- 

 drical form of its egg, fitting it for insertion within the substance 

 of soft tissue. 



Near Byfleet, on July 16th, I observed, over the Canal, a pair 

 of Agrionine dragonflies united per collum. They settled on a 

 weed, and shortly afterwards I noticed the female in the act of 

 descending below the surface of the water. She went down one 

 or two inches at least, and appeared to be ovipositing. To make 

 quite sure of the species, I tried to catch the male, which was 



