30 



THK ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Anax hnpe.rator. It is, of course, in no sense a British insect, 

 nor was it even a migrant ; it was the merest casual, like the 

 specimen of Gonvphua, fiavipes taken in 1818, of Leucorrhinia 

 2)ectoralis in 1860, and of Lmdenia forcijmta, all three of which 

 have often been quite unjustifiably placed on the British list. 

 H. ephippiger is a native of Africa, and Mr. M'Lachlan, into 

 whose possession the insect passed, suggests that it " may have 

 come on board a passing vessel off the African coast, and then 

 have fallen into a lethargic condition, waking up during the high 

 temperature that prevailed in the English Channel towards the 

 end of February." The figure (PL III., fig. 1) is reproduced 

 from a photograph of the insect, taken natural size. 



As regards the termination of the seasons, the various species 

 disappeared about the usual time. In 1902 one or two male 

 specimens of Enallagma cyathigerum were seen on Esher Com- 

 mon on September 17th ; one Sympetrum scoticum was noticed at 

 the Black Pond as late as November 2nd, and a few Sympetrum 

 striolatum at the same place on November 9th. In 1903 the 

 early species, Agrion puella and P. nymphula, were both seen in 

 the New Forest, connected per colkim, on August 12th, this being 

 rather late for the second species, though perhaps not so much 

 so for the former ; a female Pyrrhosoma tenellum was found at 

 the Black Pond on September 20th. 



Having thus glanced at the two seasons as a whole, those 

 British species which have afforded points of interest to myself 

 will be noticed in order. Unfortunately in most cases there is 

 little new to record. 



It is always interesting to note the time of the day (or night) 

 at which dragonflies emerge ; it is therefore worth recording 

 that a specimen of Sympetrum striolatum from Richmond Park 

 that emerged in captivity on July 10th, 1903, was found hanging 

 expanded, but quite yellow in colour, about 10.30 p.m., having 

 no doubt come out in the evening. By the next morning, about 

 7 a.m., it had flown to the window. Though perhaps dragon- 

 flies more often emerge in the night or early morning, one not 

 seldom meets with them in nature emerging during the day. A 

 male of this species emerged in captivity in the early morning of 

 July 28th, 1902, when it was noticed that the abdomen before it 

 extended resembled much in appearance that of a Libellula, thus 

 shewing its affinities at that stage. 



Sympetrum Jlaveolum was not seen in either year at the ponds 

 on Ockham Common, so we may conclude that there was no 

 migration. S. sanguineum, however, was found there both 

 seasons, and on September 6th, 1903, at least one male was 

 taken (H. J. Turner) at the Black Pond, Esher, making yet 

 another new record for that locality. 



Nymphs sometimes travel some distance from the water 

 before disclosing the imago. On May 25th, 1902, I saw a 



