142 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



almost entirely after the wings were full-grown. About 1.30 p.m. 

 the insect had flown from its support, the abdomen was bronze- 

 coloured, and the wings were transparent, though suffused with 

 a yellowish tint. 



By collecting nymph-skins while the species was emerging 

 the identity of the nymph of S. striolatum was satisfactorily de- 

 termined. It may be recognised by the long lateral spines on 

 the hinder segments of the abdomen. Some of the skins were 

 very dark in colour. S. scoticum, which somewhat resembles it, 

 is smaller, and has very short lateral spines. 



Nymph-cases of Lestes sponsa were found on Ockham Common 

 on July 8th. This nymph is an extremely interesting one from 

 the fact that it holds an intermediate position between the 

 Calopteryginse and the rest of the Agrionidse. Its ladle-shaped 

 mask bears considerable resemblance to that of Calopteryx, while 

 its banded lamellse (Plate IV., b) are rather thick, and are easily 

 separated into two layers. The outer lamellae are longer and 

 straighter than the middle one, which is figured. The margin 

 (Plate IV., h) is ornamented with stout spines two-thousandths 

 of an inch long, separated in some parts by two or more 

 slender ones. 



Platycnemis pennipes was bred on July 10th from a nymph 

 obtained in the New Forest. In colour it was yellowish brown. 

 The mask was of the usual ^^now-type, but the lamellae 

 (Plate IV., c) are again sufficiently distinct to serve as a means 

 of identifying the species. They are long, and terminate in a 

 very attenuated point. The margin (Plate IV., c) is clothed 

 with hairs, many of which towards the distal extremity are very 

 long, about one-fiftieth of an inch. The lamellae are slightly 

 mottled with brown, and the middle one is a little broader than 

 the outer ones. 



Amongst the nymphs of P. pennipes was one of A. mercuriale, 

 which, however, was not recognised till it emerged, when there 

 was little in the body of the nymph-case to distinguish it from 

 other Agrions The two lamellas which it possessed were ex- 

 tremely small, and, if they did not represent two renewed ones 

 partly grown, would easily serve to distinguish the species. 



I must not conclude without referring to some interesting 

 observations that Eev. F. East has been making on the nymphs 

 of Mschna cyanea. He found that out of sixty-one emergences, 

 thirty-one were females and thirty males. Though some emerged 

 in the daytime, the majority came out at night — by night I con- 

 clude we are to understand the very early morning. The nymphs 

 were taken from a pond in his garden, and as the perfect insects 

 emerged most — fifty-six — were set free. None remained at the 

 time near the pond, but later in the summer some returned and 

 hawked round the pond and the garden as usual. 



As a result of experiments made by Mr. East with ^. cyanea 



