INSECTS 



their helpless victims, must admit that the term ' dragonflies ' came as a 

 happy inspiration to the person who first employed it ; since in their 

 relation to their fellow insects these powerful and voracious creatures are 

 well calculated to produce a vivid conception of ' the dragons of the 

 prime.' They are so well known that no description of them and their 

 methods can be needed here. We have some forty British species, of 

 which about three-fourths have been found in the county. 



Leucorrhinia dubia, Lind., is generally accounted a northern species, 

 but has been reported by the late Mr. Henry Doubleday as occurring, 

 though rarely, on Coopersale Common near Epping. 



Sympetrum strio/afum, Charp., is abundant in many places about 

 Colchester. It has also been reported from Wanstead and Epping and 

 probably occurs freely throughout the county. 



S. Jtaveolum, L., is as a rule rare, but has occurred recently at 

 Colchester and St. Osyth, and according to Mr. Doubleday was formerly 

 periodically common about Epping. 



S. sanguineum, Miill., seems to have a much more restricted range 

 than its commoner relative S. strio/atum, with which it may frequently be 

 found on the coast at St. Osyth and elsewhere. It has also occurred at 

 Epping. 



S. scotium, Don. 'Epping, about old gravel pits ' (H. Doubleday). 



Libellula depressa^ L. This handsome insect is one of the earliest 

 to appear, and is generally distributed and usually common, but also very 

 wary and more frequently seen than captured. The variety hageni is 

 much scarcer. 



L. quadrimaculata, L., appears to occur pretty regularly in many 

 places in Britain, but is a migratory species of which large swarms 

 are occasionally reported. Such a swarm was observed off the 

 Essex coast in June, 1888. In June, 1900, for one day only, many 

 specimens were seen at Wivenhoe, but most contrived to elude capture. 

 Colchester and Epping are other localities for it, and the var. prcenubila 

 has been met with near Clacton-on-Sea. 



L.fuha, Miill. Very rare, but Doubleday reports it from Ongar 

 Park woods and a single specimen has occurred at Colchester. 



Cordulia cenea, L., is extremely local, the only records being Cooper- 

 sale Common (Doubleday) and Woodford (Harcourt Bath). 



Gomphus vu/gatissimus, L., is also very local and is only reported by 

 Mr. Doubleday from High Beech and elsewhere near Epping. 



Anax imperator, Leach, the largest European dragonfly, is now a 

 rarity in the county, though like several others it seems to have been 

 less uncommon in the Epping district formerly. A single specimen 

 was captured in the High Woods at Colchester several years ago, but no 

 others have since been seen. 



Erachytron pratense, Miill., is widely distributed but seldom met 

 with ; it has occurred at Colchester, Epping and St. Osyth. 



Mschna mixfa, Latr., is considered a rare and local insect, but during 

 the past two years has extended its range and appeared in larger 



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