254 



THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



minutes past eight it suddenly darted up, as if a spring had been 

 released, and clutched with its legs at the head of the nymph- 

 case. Five seconds later and the remaining portion of the body 

 was out of the case and hanging below it, the whole length being 

 two and one-eighth inches. By thirty-five minutes past eight 

 the tiny wings looked like pieces of snow, and began to expand ; 

 the growth was so rapid that in two minutes they had extended 

 from about half an inch to one and one-eighth inches long, 

 their colour being cream with a tinge of green in it. At forty 

 minutes past eight the body and head were trembling with 

 emotion, the wings had extended to one and a half inches long, 

 and the two lateral stripes on the thorax were appearing. 

 Measuring the wings at 8.42 p.m., they were one and three- 

 quarter inches long and opaque. During the next two minutes 

 my notes and sketches show the body to be very much curved, 

 so that the wings drop much below it. The dragonfly appeared 

 to be exerting every muscle in order to fully develop its wings. 

 At forty-eight minutes past eight the pterostigma became visible ; 

 they were a light green colour. Two minutes later, and the 

 hitherto opaque wings became transparent. At 8.55 p.m. it was 

 perfectly still, and (with the exception of moving its legs at 8.57) 

 it remained absolutely quiet for twenty-five minutes, the body 

 hanging in a straight line below the head. The wings were then 

 hyaline, and the nervures were showing plainly. It continued 

 to rest till 10.28 p.m., when it moved its head, and in one more 

 minute the wings quivered and spread wide open, the costal 

 margins of the fore wings being at right angles with the body. 

 In that graceful position it remained till 11.39, when suddenly it 

 flew round the room. At this point the lights were extinguished, 

 and on the following morning .E. grandis was found clinging to 

 the wall with wings so well coloured that I deemed it wise to 

 prepare it for the cabinet. 



Ivy House, New Maiden. 



A LIST OF THE LEPIDOPTERA OF THE ISLAND OF 

 CAPEI; WITH A FEW NOTES. 



By C. Seymour Browne. 



For such a small island the number of species of Lepido- 

 ptera will be found of great interest to the entomologist. Con- 

 sidering that the greatest length does not exceed 6^ kilometres, 

 the breadth 2| kilometres, and that the total area does not amount 

 to more than about 15 square kilometres, and that this space 

 contains a population of 6000, it is remarkable that such a 

 quantity of lepidopterous insects are to be found in such a limited 

 area. This, however, is due in a great part to the mountainous 



