BRITISH ODONATA IN 1913. 79 



was not a single S.fonscolombii, though offspring of the 1911 

 specimens, if they had bred there, would probably have been 

 due in 1913. Mr. F. H. Haines, of Winfrith, Dorset, was a little 

 more successful with this species. Writing August 3rd, 1913, he 

 told me that on July 24th he saw several specimens on a pond 

 at Morden and took a male and female in cop. ; as well as a 

 second male. They were in nothing like the abundance of 1912, 

 and their wariness was wonderful. He might have made twenty 

 captures of S. striolatum for one of S.fotiscolombii. On July 25th 

 he tried West Knighton pond and thinks he saw one of the 

 latter species, but could not capture it. A friend of his having 

 reported the species at Creech, south of Wareham, on August 

 2nd they together visited both Creech and Morden, but found 

 nothing, though S. striolatum was abundant at Creech, and they 

 took an J^schnh juncea and a worn A. imperator at Morden. 

 Mr. Haines did not find the pond at Creech such a one as he 

 would associate with S.fonscolombii, although his friend knew 

 the dragonfly. It prefers heathland ponds, fed by swamps 

 with much decomposing vegetable matter in them all round, 

 causing the water to be very warm. The Creech pond was deep 

 and cold. He thought perhaps a swarm might have paid a 

 visit and passed on. Some days previously he found the species 

 still well in evidence at Morden and took another male. So 

 this year he has four specimens, three males and one female— 

 three taken on one day, one on another. 



On August 1st C. annulatus was common at Beaulieu River, 

 and from this time there appeared to be no dearth of them in 

 the Forest, so the adverse season of 1912 had not affected the 

 1913 imagines. On the same date an Mschna cyanea, female, 

 was captured, apparently but recently emerged, as the spots 

 were whitish-blue. On the next day an ^. juncea was captured 

 at Woodfidley. On August 16th in the central part of the 

 Forest dragonflies were numerous, almost all being S. striolatum. 

 On August 25th I could not find A. mercuriale, and presume it 

 was over. /. pumilio I was not able to find at all during the 

 season. Towards the end of August C. virgo had disappeared. 



Mr. W. H. Harwood tells me that a specimen of Mschna 

 isosceles was taken at Wicken Fen on September 28th, which 

 seems to be a very late date for this species. 



After a long absence, a visit was paid to the Black Pond on 

 September 28th, when 8. striolatum and S. scoticum were found 

 to be plentiful. There were also a few iEschnas, of which males 

 of ^E. juncea and M. grandis were captured; the former settled 

 on the front of my coat and was there netted. Judging by size 

 J^. mixta appeared to be present also. 



Mr. K. J. Morton is able to record that a female Hemianax 

 ephippiger was found in Ireland {vide E. M. M. Jan. 1914) in 

 October, 1913. This is, of course, an accidental occurrence, as 



