252 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



CoLiAs EDUSA, &c., IN Herts. — Oil September 2ncl I saw a 

 specimen of Colias cdusa caught by two boys near Roman Camp, 

 Letchworth. I was collecting, and was sorry to see evidence that 

 these juveniles had no knowledge of entomology, as they had this 

 species and "whites," as well as others, mixed up in a match-box. 

 Such wanton destruction is to be regretted. The variety helice was 

 seen by a friend a few days after ; it flew past him, when he had a 

 good view of it. This occurred in the same place. A specimen of 

 P. carclui was caught in Garden City on September 2nd. — (Rev.) E. 

 Everett ; Ashleigh, Fix Road, Letchworth, Hitchin, September 25tli, 

 1908. 



Huntingdonshire Dragonflies, 1908. — In the course of a visit 

 to Huntingdonshire during the second half of last month, I was able 

 to add several fresh species to my list of Odonata (known locally as 

 "needles") occurring in that county ('Entom.,' 1907, p. 257). The 

 most interesting addition was Lestes dryas, of which a few males 

 and females were secured, on July 27th and 31st, in deep ditches 

 well furnished with vegetation, at two localities near Ramsey. The 

 specimens taken were in fully adult condition, and some of them 

 were paired. It will be remembered that in 1893 and 1897 Mr. 

 K. J. Morton obtained this scarce insect in the adjoining county of 

 Cambridge. 



Other additions to my list were : — Sympetrum striolatum, newly- 

 emerged females, Hartford (July 29th) and Ramsey (July 31st) ; 

 S. sangmimmn, adult males and females, Ramsey (July 27th and 

 31st); Lestes sponsa, occurring with L. dryas; Ischniira elegans var. 

 rufescens ; and Enallagma cyathigermn, flying in great swarms over 

 the Forty Foot Drain. Of the last-named species, both forms of the 

 female were taken. The exceptionally favourable opportunities for 

 observation afforded by the Forty Foot Drain enabled me to satisfy 

 myself beyond question that males, at all events, of E. cyathigerum 

 frequently fly backward as well as forward. The insect is seen to 

 hover on the wing for a few seconds, and then the backward flight 

 begins, which is sometimes sustained for a foot or more, altliough 

 more often the forward movement is resumed when a retrograde 

 journey of a few inches only has been accomplished. The following 

 species and variety, previously recorded * from Hartford, were iiiet 

 with again at that place: — Calopteryx splcndcns, one pair (July 21st); 

 Erythromvm naias, scarce (July 29th) ; Ischmtra elegans, with its 

 dark var. infuscans ; and Agrion pulchellum, scarce (July 21st). 

 Teneral individuals of I. elegans occurred abundantly where the 

 species was present, and it was plain that the second emergence was 

 taking place. Sympetrum scoticum was seen in the county, but not 

 taken, as were also A^schna grandis and, probably, ^. cyanea, but 

 the scarcity of larger dragonflies, both as to species and numbers, was 

 quite remarkable. — F. W. Campion ; 33, Maude Terrace, Waltham- 

 stow, Essex, August 31st, 1908. 



