250 OBSERVATIONS ON INSECTS. 



DRAGON-FLIES.* 



Aug. 22, 1825. DURING a walk in the fens to-day, 

 we observed vast quantities of female dragon-flies, of 

 one of the larger kinds, that kept up an incessant 

 hovering over the ditches, engaged in laying their 

 eggs. The operation was rather curious. They 

 poised themselves in the air for several seconds in 

 the same spot, and then suddenly darted down to- 

 wards the surface of the water, alighting generally 

 upon the lower part of some reed, or on a piece of 

 turf that lay just covered by the water, where they 

 would remain a short time with their abdomen im- 

 mersed quite up to the thorax. During this inter- 

 val I conceive the egg was being deposited. The 

 process was then repeated, and continued by the 

 same insect as long as we had patience to remain. 



MASON-WASP.f 



July 14, 1823. WE observed this morning one of 

 the species of mason-wasps, as they are termed by 

 entomologists, carry off a small caterpillar, and 

 deposit it in a hole in a wall adjoining, where we 

 found it had constructed a nest of mud and sand of 

 the size of a small walnut. On breaking through 

 the outer crust, we found several other caterpillars of 



* Libellulida, Leach. The species above noticed was one of 

 the larger kinds of Mshna. 



t The insects noticed under this head are probably either of 

 the genus Odynerus, Lat., or Epipone, Kirb. 



