89 



flies, eight of which were taken during the field meeting at 

 Byfleet on June loth, including Pyrrhosoma nymphula 

 {minuun), with P. tenellnm for comparison ; Enallngma cya- 

 thigerum, and a variety with the longitudinal portion of the 

 black mark on the basal segment undeveloped ; Ischnura 

 elegans and a red-bodied female variety; Agrion puella, A. 

 piUchelliim, Erythromma naias, Brachytron pratense, and Ca- 

 lopteryx splendens. He also exhibited a male specimen of 

 Anax imperator [formosus), and both sexes of the very local 

 Orthetrum cancellatuin, from Woolmer Forest. 



Mr. Lucas read a report of the Field Meeting held at 

 Byfleet on June loth. 



" Splendid weather favoured those members of the Society 

 who, with a few visitors, assembled for the field meeting at 

 Byfleet on the afternoon of June the tenth. The train ar- 

 rived a little late, but so close is the canal to the station that 

 but a short time elapsed before collecting commenced in 

 earnest. Swarms of dragon-flies were amongst the first 

 objects that met the view of the party, and the most lepi- 

 dopterous of them could not help for the nonce becoming 

 ardent odonatists. May the infection have sunk deep, and 

 may some at least have taken up for good the fascinating if 

 arduous pursuit of those interesting and gorgeous animals! 

 Three of the little blue Agrionines were out in swarms, 

 the ubiquitous Agrion puella, and with it in fair numbers the 

 less common Agrion pulchellnm, while their very near rela- 

 tive, Enallagma cyathigerum, was equally common with the 

 former, and apparently by some of the party with difficulty 

 distinguished from either. Ischmtra elegans, a small black 

 dragon-fly with a single blue segment near the end of its 

 abdomen, was out in good numbers, and with the typical 

 form was not seldom taken the variety with orange thorax. 

 Easily mistaken on the wing for the last-named species was 

 the usually scarce — but in the Byfleet locality common — 

 Erythromma naias, a sturdy insect with crimson eyes and 

 blue extremity to its abdomen. Pyrrhosoma nymphula was 

 occasionally netted, its crimson abdomen adding variety to 

 the general blue tints of the insects mentioned before. 

 Amongst the larger species a few specimens of Calopteryx 

 splendens— 2,n easily distinguished dragon-fly with body of 

 metallic lustre, intensel}^ blue or green according to sex, and 

 possessing in the male a large blue patch across the middle of 

 all the wings — were occasionally taken ; but the centre of its 

 haunts was not quite reached. Several individuals of the 



