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July our gardeners had already destroyed 54 nests of ground-wasps in our garden 

 and shrubbery, and in the few fields close around them, and doubtless this number 

 will be largely increased within the next month or so, for the insects seem almost as 

 plentiful and troublesome as ever ! In fact, three more nests have already been 

 taken. Our previous " best on record " is a " take " of 21 nests in the course of a 

 single season, though perhaps the search has generally been confined to a rather 

 smaller area. It is impossible to prevent the armies of hungry marauders from 

 helping themselves very liberally to the fruit on the trees, though, fortunately for 

 us, the crop is so exceptionally heavy that there is plenty for all parties concerned. 

 The nests of the tree wasps have also been more common than usual. — Id. : 

 August 8th, 1893. 



Lestes nympha, Selyx, and other dragon-flies in Cambridgeshire. — While at 

 Thorney, Cambridgeshire, for a fortnight in the middle of July, I paid special 

 attention to the dragon-flies of the district. As my captures include one species of 

 some interest, a list of them is given here. The locality should be a very good one 

 for this group, but circumstances were rather adverse during my stay ; the fine 

 weather broke up just before my arrival and gave place to rather sunless and windy 

 days. Some of the common species of Agrionidce abounded, but the larger dragon- 

 flies were not numerous. The dykes of Knarr Fen were most productive, both as 

 regards species and individuals. The list is as follows : — Sympetrum sanguineum, 

 Miiller, frequent at one of the Knarr Fen dykes ; seen occasionally elsewhere (with 

 the exception of ^. grandis, this was the only one of the larger dragon-flies seen at 

 Wicken the one day I spent there). *S. scoticum, Donov., two at Knarr Fen. 

 Lihellula quadrimaeulata, L., a few taken at Knarr Fen. JEschna grandis, L., 

 generally distributed, but not very common ; a few specimens of another JLschna, 

 probably cyanea, were seen but not taken. Calopteryx splendens, Harris, Thorney 

 Dyke. Lestes nympha, Selys, only one of this interesting species, of which little 

 appears to have been seen of recent years ; I now believe it occurred in limited 

 numbers at one of the Knarr Fen Dykes along with L. sponsa, but at the time I did 

 not appreciate the differences between the two. L. sponsa, Hans., everywhere 

 common. Ischnura elegans, V. d. Lind., common. lEnallagtna cyathigerum, Charp., 

 common, Thorney River. Agrion pulchellum, V. d. Lind., very abundant. A. puella, 

 L., not common. Erythromma najas, Hans., a few noticed at one restricted spot 

 on the Thorney Eiver ; not seen elsewhere. — K. J. Morton, Carluke, N.B. : 

 August, 1893. 



[I am delighted to find that Lestes nympha is still with us. During the last 

 quarter of a century I have examined several hundreds of L. sponsa, living and 

 dead, in the hope of finding nympha among them, but in vain. — R. McLachlan]. 



Lema Erichsoni, Suffr., in Co. Dublin. — During a day's collecting near the 

 village of Santry, Co. Dublin, I captured a large number of specimens of Lema ; 

 upon examination they all proved to be Lema lichenis, with the exception of one 

 which was evidently referable to the very rare Lema Erichsoni, Suffr. Canon 

 Fowler has seen the specimen, and confirmed the identification. I have lately 

 retaken the species in some numbers at the same locality, by sweeping, chiefly in one 



small grassy place, although a few examples occurred at some distance. J. N. 



Halbekt, 13, Nelson Street, Dublin : August, 1893. 



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