340 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [Oct., '14 



through the spray and over the vegetation which carpets the 

 almost perpendicular rocks, I could see the Thaumatoneuras — 

 two species (inopinata and pellncida) — fluttering through the 

 spray, chasing each other or alighting upon the rocks and 

 plants. So heedless of the spray are they that it gathers in lit- 

 tle drops on the wings or hangs suspended from the hind end 

 of the body." (June 24, 1909). 



"At the farther waterfall was one male each of T. inopinata 

 and T. pellucida. I stayed here fully an hour during which 

 there were periods of bright sunshine, but no more Thauma- 

 toneuras came, and the two mentioned remained for long 

 periods almost motionless on twigs until I caught them." (De- 

 cember 2, 1909). 



Owing to the habit of TJiaurnatoneura of spending most of 

 the time over vertical wet rocks, the capture of them was often 

 only possible by climbing up on the rocks themselves, or b.y 

 hanging with one hand to some long, dangling, nearby root or 

 vine and with the other sweeping the net. 



Pairing of T. inopinata was observed twice on June 24 and 

 once on June 27 ; of T. pellncida once on July 30 and again on 

 October i. Notes made at the time on the behavior of inopin- 

 ata are to the following effect : The male seeks and flies after 

 the female and seizes her by her prothorax. his superior ap- 

 pendages being deeply inserted behind her prothorax and be- 

 tween it and the mesothorax, while his inferior appendages 

 are applied against the dorsal surface of her prothorax (this 

 from a pair which I caught and held in my fingers). After 

 seizing the female, the male probably applies the ventral sur- 

 face of his ninth abdominal segment to the ventral surface of 

 his second abdominal segment to charge the vesicle of the lat- 

 ter with sperm ; of this I am not entirely sure as I think I saw 

 ' it but once and the operation itself occupies very little time. 

 IMale and female then assume the usual position of the Odonata 

 in pairing. Different pairs of inopinata require different 

 lengths of time to effect the attachment of the female to the 

 male, one pair having made four or five attempts before this 

 was accomplished, another pair effecting it at once. In one 

 case on June 24, 1909, where I did not see the actual begin- 



