336 



only to the first tribe, which I have considered so beautiful and innocent, 

 but also to those of the tribe to which tiie insect thus selected belongs, 

 as they a)"e thus made to bear more disci-edit than they really merit. 

 These insects are not nearly so ugly looking nor so voracious as those 

 of -^schnina which I have tried to justly saddle vrith all the dishonour 

 and uglyness said to be due to the dragon-fly collectively. The wings 

 of nearly all the Libellulinse, as previously stated, are beautifully marked 

 with clouds of various hues, and the different species can be distin- 

 guished at once from those of o^Eschnina which some of them almost 

 equal in size — by the abdomen alone, which instead of being long and 

 slender and capable of being coiled up like those of the last mentioned, 

 is comparatively short, stout at the base and gradually tapers off to the 

 end. The segments are all joined together closely, and when the 

 insect moves the abdomen — whicli it can do to a very limited extent 

 up and down — the whole mass moves upon the first segment like that 

 of a butterfly, which it may be said to resemble, except that it is not 

 covered with scales, is a little longer and more depressed or flattened. 



Einthica 2^'>'iii-ceps, Hag. — is a large species with broad wings ; 

 there is a large triangidar basal spot on the posterior or hind wings, a 

 streak on the base of the front ones, and a small spot near the middle 

 of each. This is not at all a common insect in this vicinity. I 

 obtained a specimen of this species from Mr. Fletcher, who collected it 

 at Billings' Bridge. The wings have eight antecubitals, five postcubi- 

 tals, and expand 3i inches. 



Cordulia lateralis, Burm. —is rather a common species here, in 

 eai'ly spring, though apparently very rare in the Province of Quebec. 

 The Rev. Abbe Provancher, an admirable authority in nearly all 

 branches of entomology, and the only good one, I believe, in Canada ou 

 the neuroptera^ to Avhom I am indebted for determining many of the 

 insects in my collection — informs me that he had met with this species 

 but once before he saw my specimen, and that was at St. Hyacinthe, 

 P. Q. Tlie anterior wings are narrow — the posterior ones broad with 

 a small triangular basal spot. Length, If inches ; alar expanse, 2| 

 inches ; seven antecubitals, six postcubitals. 



Plathemus t7-hnaciUata, DeGeer, has three dusky brown spots ou 

 each wing ; the abdomen is brown with yellow spots on either side. 



