110 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



plenty, such as the two species of Platycnemis — acutipennis and 

 latipes — the latter an especially delicate ivory-white species with 

 a peculiar, weak, jerky flight. P. jjcmiipes w^as not present at 

 all. Agrio7i lindenii was also common here. Of the Gomphinte, 

 Gomphus pulchelhis was common, simUUmus much rarer, while a 

 single male of G. flavipes was quite a distinguished capture. 

 Anax imperator here and there patrolled the canal, hut, as 

 de Selys naively remarks, " cet insecte est d'une prudence 

 remarquable." A. p)CLrthenope was also seen more rarely, and 

 Dr. Piis picked up the esuvite of this species. JEschna offinis 

 occurred occasionally with an odd specimen or two of Oxygastra 

 curtisii. Of the Libellulinse, Libelhda fidva and Orthetrum can- 

 cellatum were perhaps the most conspicuously common here, 

 while 0. hrimneum, 0. coerulesce?is, and Crocothcmis erythrcea 

 occurred more sparingly. At this very convenient locality, 

 towards the end of our stay at Aries, Dr. Ris made an interesting 

 discovery in the shape of Erythromma viridulum. It was found 

 settling in some numbers amongst poplar-shoots which grew in 

 a clump at one point of the canal-bank, and it might very easily 

 have been overlooked. Later it was seen flying in its more 

 normal fashion over the water, and settling on water-lily leaves. 

 Another insect particularly common at one of the canal-locks 

 was Calopteryx splendens, of an interesting form, similar to that 

 which is found at Digne, somewhat intermediate between the 

 type and the form xanthostoma. 



On the afternoon of the 2nd we went further into the Camargue 

 at Albaron, a station on the railway which goes to les Saintes 

 Maries. All the way down we saw from the train many examples 

 of what was doubtless Msclina affinis flying about, and at Albaron 

 itself this species was in the greatest abundance. It is diflicult 

 to imagine one of the iEschninae existing in greater numbers in 

 any locality. Both sexes were represented. The other dragon - 

 flies noticed were not of great importance, but a single Asca- 

 laphus ictericus was an interesting addition to our list for 

 the day. 



Another part of the district which we visited frequently was 

 that lying around the station named Mas de la Ville, on the 

 Saint Louis line. Here there were to be found, in addition to 

 the canal, smaller ditches of diverse character, more or less 

 overgrown with aquatic vegetation, and producing some species 

 which did not occur nearer the town. At one of the minor 

 ditches a few Agrion mercuriale and Pyrrhosoma tenellum were 

 taken, while at another one or two Calopteryx h amor r hoi dalis 

 put in an appearance. A shaded pathway running parallel to 

 one of the greater ditches was a favoured haunt of the Lestes 

 group. Here L. viridis, harhara, and S. fnsca were common. 

 Along the same pathway 0. curtisii was found, but this species 

 was disappointingly scarce. It is common in West Central 



