32 SANTAREM. Chap. I. 



allied to our English L. quadrimaculata. But the 

 resemblance was greater in the small, slender-bodied 

 and slow-flying species, the Agrions, which every lover 

 of rural walks must have noticed in England by river 

 sides. There was one pretty kind with a pale blue ring 

 at the tip of the body which resembled to a remark- 

 able degree a common British species. Although very 

 near akin, neither this nor any of the other kinds, were 

 perfectly identical with European ones. The strikingly 

 peculiar dragon-flies from Tropical America which are 

 seen in our collections are denizens of the forest, being 

 bred in the shady brooks and creeks in their recesses, 

 and not in the weedy ponds of open places. Some of 

 these forest species are strange creatures with slender 

 bodies measuring seven inches in length ; their elegant 

 lace-work wings tipped with white or yellow. They fly 

 slowly amongst the trees, preying on small Diptera, 

 and in their flight look like animated spindles ; the 

 wings, placed at the fore extremity of the long, horizon- 

 tally-extended body, moving rapidly and creating the 

 impression of rotary motion. 



Whilst resting in the shade during the great heat of 

 the early hours of afternoon, I used to find amuse- 

 ment in watching the proceedings of the sand-wasps. 

 A small pale green kind of Bembex (Bembex ciliata), 

 was plentiful near the bay of Mapiri. When they are 

 at work, a number of little jets of sand are seen shooting 

 over the surface of the sloping bank. The little miners 

 excavate with their fore feet, which are strongly built 

 and furnished with a fringe of stiff bristles ; they work 

 with wonderful rapidity, and the sand thrown out be- 



