CALOPTERYX VIRGO 133 



towards the evil reputation; at all events, one of our 

 largest species has a remarkably serpent-like aspect 

 due to its colour scheme shining jet black, banded 

 and slashed with wasp-yellow. This is the magnificent 

 Cordulegaster annulatus, little inferior to the Anax 

 imperator in size, and a very common species in the 

 southern part of the New Forest in July. But how 

 astonishing and almost incredible that this singular- 

 looking, splendid, most dragon-like of the dragon-flies 

 should have no English name ! 



Something remains to be said of the one dragon-fly 

 which has got a name, or names, although these do 

 not appear to be known to the country people. Mr. 

 W. T. Lucas in his useful monograph on the British 

 dragon -flies, writes enthusiastically of this species, 

 Calopteryx virgo, that it is "the most resplendent of 

 our dragon-flies, if not of all British insects." It is too 

 great praise; nevertheless the virgo is very beautiful 

 and curious, the entire insect, wings included, being 

 of an intense deep metallic blue, which glistens as if 

 the insect had been newly dipped in its colour-bath. 

 Unlike other dragon-flies, it flutters on the wing like a 

 butterfly with a weak, uncertain flight, and, again like 

 a butterfly, holds its blue wings erect when at rest. It 

 is one of the commonest as well as the most con- 

 spicuous dragon-flies on the Boldre, the Dark Water, 

 and other slow and marshy streams in the southern 

 part of the Forest. 



In South America I was accustomed to see 



