CREATURES OF SPLENDOUR 121 



of their lives, persist in accusing it of a 

 practice of which it is perfectly innocent. 



Another species bearing some resemblance 

 to quadrimaculata is named Sympetrum, scoticum 

 (Plate X., Fig. 2). The male is purplish- 

 black, with yellow stripes and spots; the 

 female, reddish. It frequents ponds and 

 marshes, and is more abundant in the North 

 than in the South, although it is by no 

 means restricted to Scotland, as its name 

 would suggest. 



I now come to some large and splendid 

 dragonflies. Cordulegaster annulatus (Plate X., 

 Fig. 3) is black, spotted with yellow. It 

 may be found near streams, especially at 

 rocky places, often in large numbers, but 

 generally flying within a limited area. 

 Mschna juncea (Plate X., Fig. 4) is not unlike 

 the last species. The male is brown, with 

 blue and yellow spots ; the female brown, 

 with yellow and greenish-yellow spots. The 

 upper edges of the wings are golden, and 

 the blue spots at the extremity of the 

 abdomen divided. It flies in woods and at 

 ponds. Another dragonfly, Mschna cyanea, 

 is apt to be confused with the last one, but 



