SECRETARY'S REPORT. 153 



of its useful Order. It is described in Dr. Ilageii's Synopsis,* 

 as follows : " Fuscous, marked with yellowish green ; front 

 obscure, luteous, (yellowish,) above fuscous, each side with a 

 yellowish green spot ; occiput (hinder part of the head) of the 

 female bifid, (split in two parts ;) thorax fuscous, dorsum 

 (back,) each side with a stripe, which is angulated at the wings, 

 and at the sides with two oblique stripes, green ; feet black, base 

 of the femora subrufous ; abdomen long, stout, liardly broader at 

 base, fuscous ; the base, middle and apex of the segments, with 

 a subinterrupted, narrow green fascia ; (band,) appendages 

 black, subarcuated, (^sub, somewhat ; arcuated, curved like a 

 bow,) the base narrower, a tubercle beneath, tlie apex carinated 

 truncated, (abruptly cut off,) inner edge villose ; (covered with 

 fine soft hairs ;) inferior appendage one-half the length of the 

 superior, narrow, almost equal, the apex obtusely truncated, 

 sometimes almost bifid ; appendages of the female broad, ovate, 

 (of the form of an egg,) foliaceous, (leaf-like ;) wings hyaline 

 subflavescent (somewhat yellowish,) in the middle, the apex 

 sometimes infuscated, (darkened,) pterostigma long, narrow, 

 fulvous, (tawny ;) membranule white." 



jEschna clepsijdra, or the hour-glass dragonfly : yE. con- 

 strida, the narrowed dragonfly, and J^. Janata, of Say, the 

 yellow dragonfly, are all quite common in Massachusetts, and 

 of similar habits to the preceding, although of smaller size. 



Libelhila pulchelJa of Drury, or the beautiful dragonfly, 

 (figure 26, Harr.^ is one of the most interesting of our Massa- 

 chusetts species, and is often seen during the summer, display- 

 ing its beautifully variegated wings as it sails to and fro over 

 the surface of the water. I have frequently seen it basking on 

 rocks by the side of roads, at some distance from the pond or 

 brook where it passed its larva existence. The general color 

 of the body is reddish fuscous, the sides of the thorax with two 

 oblique yellow streaks, the abdomen often with a yellow stripe 

 on each side, or covered with a bluish white coating of powdery 



* " Synopsis of the Neuroptera of North America, with a list of South 

 American species. Prepared for the Smithsonian Institution, by Uermann 

 Hagen." This work, which was translated from the original by P. R. Uhler, 

 Esq., of Baltimore, is of the greatest value, and supplies a want long felt by 

 the student of this branch. I copy one or two descriptions in this essay as 

 samples of the minute and elaborate accuracy of this work. 

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