336 
The insects were reluctant to get under water, but 
once there, they behaved so that I could well presume 
that water was no strange element to them. They walked 
with ease both up and down a stick resting in the water 
and likewise they walked, underside up, under the leaves 
of ducks weed floating on the surface of the water. They 
could, however not keep at the bottom of the water 
without holding on to some object. There appeared to 
be some air adtering to them and this evidently gave 
them some buoyancy. They were able to rub their legs, 
wings and antennae while sitting cn a stick in the water. 
If they lost their hold of the bottom or of the object 
they walked on they would rise slowly to the surface. 
At such opportunities as also when they left the ducks 
weed they used only their legs for swimming purposes 
and absolutely not the wings. These were always folded 
plat along their back. 
These observations certainly seem to indicate that the 
European species of the genus also are aquatic forms but 
whether they should exactly frequent on the eggs of Odo- 
nata alone appears to me rather doubtful. The specimens 
of this species appears to me to be too big and power- 
fully built for that and I could rather fancy them fre- 
quenting eggs of Dytiscs or of aquatic bugs. 
Brachista similis nov. sp. 
Female. Similar to B. pungens but longer and more 
slender built. Ovipositor is only produced beyond apex 
for about half the length of abdomen. Entire insect light 
brown. Striation much stronger than in B. pungens. 
Wings more narrow and not so powerful as in pungens. 
Antenne: Club longer than scapus, pedicellus 2 thirds 
of scapus; funiculus half as long as pedicellus and of 
equal size with Ist and 2d club joint. 3 club joint the 
longest. 
Length: female 0,72 mm. 
