36 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



quite at random, into the water — in one place amongst loose 

 gravel-stones, where practically no water remained. On August 

 7th, one was taken near the Stour, at Pokesdown. Mr. G. T. 

 Porritt reports the species from Yorkshire. 



Dr. F. A. Walker reports a female Anax imperator, taken on 

 Hampstead Heath on May 11th. On June 9th the species was 

 common at the Black Pond as usual. On June 26th, one female 

 at least was watched ovipositing at Byfleet Canal on a large 

 Potamogeton, sometimes in the leaf-stalk, at others in the leaf 

 itself, apparently. Messrs. Bishop and Ashdown saw the insect, 

 on July 7th, hovering over Frensham Great Pond. 



Brachytroh pratense. In the spring a number of nymphs 

 were procured by Messrs. F. Enock, S. W. Kemp, and myself at 

 the Byfleet Canal, in Surrey, and at the Black Pond ; and, later, 

 Mr. Enock bred a fair quantity. When dredged up on a rotting 

 piece of dead bulrush or sedge, their resemblance to it in form 

 and colour is perfect, and the position taken up is well adapted 

 either to enable them to lurk unseen for their unsuspecting-prey, 

 or to conceal their presence from some dangerous enemy. The 

 habit they have of remaining perfectly inactive when taken or 

 touched assists also in the same direction. Imagines were com- 

 mon at Byfleet Canal on June 1, and on June 16th I took a female 

 at rest at the Black Pond — still another new record for that 

 prolific locality. 



yEschna mixta has again been comparatively common in the 

 South of England, possibly in consequence of an immigration, 

 though personally I think not. The species was again quite 

 numerous at the Black Pond in September. It was noticed 

 singly at several places in the New Forest in August — a female 

 near Einefield on August 5th, a male at Denney Bog on August 

 10th (A. B. Higgs), a female at Lady Cross on August 13th, a 

 male near Beaulieu Gate on August 15th. In Epping Forest a 

 female was taken on September 12th (F. W. Campion), and a 

 male on 20th September (H. Campion), both near Chingford. A 

 male (12th August) was sent to me from the golf-links at Deal 

 (R. J. McOnie). M. juncea did not come across my path once 

 during the season, but Mr. A. M. Stewart reports it from near 

 Paisley, in Renfrewshire, and Mr. C. A. Briggs received the species 

 through Mr. McArthur from Stornoway. Of the common species, 

 jE. cyanea and M,. grandis, it is scarcely necessary to speak, ex- 

 cept to say that the latter seemed to be specially common in one 

 or two places. Possibly other collectors may have noticed the 

 same thing. J^. cyanea was taken (A. B. Higgs) in the New 

 Forest, and near Bedford (R. W. Thompson), both new records. 



Calopteryx virgo was taken at Tubney Wood, in Berks (W. 

 Holland), on June 2nd. It was a brown male, and if mature, as 

 it appeared to be, was var. anceps. On August 5th I noticed one 

 in the New Forest which had a very peculiar appearance as it 



