Sept. 18^8 ] Davis: Dragonflies of Staten Island. 195 



three hours old, remove a pellet wedged in tightly between the fork of 

 stemapods, and toss it far away with its mouth parts. In so doing it 

 moved the extensile part of " tails " vigorously up and down. When- 

 ever a larva large or small had to be removed from breeding cage for 

 purposes of noting changes, the stemapods always moved to and fro in 

 a very lively manner. It appears that it might be to frighten enemies. 

 Whenever a larva, while in process of making cocoon, was disturbed, 

 especially before completely housed in it, would endeavor to spin it else- 

 where. Even the change from perpendicular of breeding jar to that of 

 horizontal final depository, would cause it to make the attempt. One 

 larva left its cocoon and transformed into pupa in an envelope box. 



General Observation. — The first molt of larva occurred in from 7 

 to iy 2 days. Second molt in 15 days. Third molt in 21 days and 

 over. Warm temperature, and moisture seems to facilitate some of the 

 stages. Cool weather much retards the time between stage IV, and pu- 

 pating. One larva commenced to make its cocoon when only twenty- 

 six days old, and others when from four to five weeks old. After 

 ceasing to feed, the larva rests a day or longer and contracts in size be- 

 fore the last transformation takes place. A week after second molt the 

 color of the dorsal band or diamond patches, changes from chocolate 

 brown to lilac brown, which in certain lights varies from amethystine to 

 purplish tints. Two annual broods occur in Arizona, the pupa of autumn 

 brood hibernating. 



PRELIMINARY LIST OF THE DRAGONFLIES OF 

 ' STATEN ISLAND, WITH NOTES AND 

 DATES OF CAPTURE. 



By Wm. T. Davis. 



There are no large, clear ponds on Staten Island like Echo Lake and 

 Green Pond in northern New Jersey, and consequently the dragon- 

 flies that make such bodies of water their home, are not to be found on 

 the Island. The sub-family Libellulinse, however, seems to be well 

 represented and all but two of the species mentioned by Mr. Philip P. 

 Calvert in his Catalogue of the Dragonflies of the Vicinity of Phila- 

 delphia, page 267, are here recorded. 



Thanks are due to Mr. Calvert for identifying species, or passing 

 upon identifications already made, and at his suggestion I have in- 

 dicated, by placing an asterisk before their names, the seven dragon- 

 flies which are additions to the list of "The Odonata of New York 



