156 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



gripped in the ordinary dorsal position, and that by a jerk of 

 the abdomen the male then obtained the unusual hold above 

 described. This ventral grip would, I think, bring the second 

 abdominal segment of the male rather nearer to the ninth 

 female segment in these comparatively short-bodied dragonflies 

 and thus be some slight advantage. 



L. qiiadrimactdata rests very little near the water. It takes 

 flights which may almost be described as swoops of from 50 to 

 100 yards inland and there rests among the short grass and 

 heather. Oviposition takes place by the female beating the 

 water with the tip of her abdomen, the male rendering no 

 assistance in this work. 



I saw a male emerge from the nymph-case. The only means 

 of exit from the water was by climbing up slender stalks of 

 grass which did not project more than 3 or 4 in. above the 

 surface. It seems possible that a certain number may be 

 drowned under these circumstances, as the grass stems are not 

 always long enough or strong enough to keep them entirely out 

 of the water during this stage of helplessness. 



Certainly I felt that the insect I was watching would be so 

 drowned, and I therefore removed it to safety on the bank. 



The next two or three weeks were dull with very cold, high 

 wind, and the pool was not visited. It was visited again on 

 July 1st, but although the day was fine and hot not a dragonfly 

 was to be seen. Had the cold killed them off or had they 

 migrated elsewhere? It is curious how susceptible to cold 

 are these apparently well-protected insects. I have never seen 

 a record of one having been found in a state of hibernation.* 



The dorsal integument of L. qiiadrimacuhita is curiously 

 translucent. In an attempt to preserve the coloration I 

 eviscerated several and fllled the body-cavity with magnesium 

 carbonate. The result was not satisfactory, however, as the 

 white powder showed markedly through the translucent skin. 



It seemed to me that the nymph- cases of these insects were 

 curiously short compared with the body of the imago. On 

 comparing them with Msetoa grandis, Linn., I find that whereas 

 in the latter species nymph-case is to body of imago as 61: to 100, 

 in the L. quadrimacidata the proportion is as 53 to 100. 



Of the Agrionidae Erallagma ajathygerum, Charp., Ischnura 

 ■elcgans, Lind., and Pi/rrJiosoma nympluda, Sulz., were all 

 common at the same pools. The female of E. ci/atlitjgeriim is 

 very variable in body-colouring, tawny, French grey and 

 greeny-blue all being found. One male of this species was 

 found in which there was a faint continuation forward of all 

 the dark markings of the abdomen, making them similar to the 

 dagger-shaped markings of the female. 



At pools some miles higher up the river Agrion puella, Linn., 

 * [SyvqJijcna J'usca, Lind., habitually hibernates on the continent. — W. J. L.] 



