NOTES ON BRITISH ODONATA IN 1920. 9 



Forest a very teneral female was caught on 20 May ; on 

 21 May it was frequently seen in teneral condition ; by the end 

 of the month it could be obtained of good colour. The species 

 was pretty numerous on 18 and 19 June ; on the 22nd it was 

 very common, especially over sunny pools of Blackwater. Twice 

 one was seen with prey which appeared to be Tortrix viridana, 

 Linn., but, contrary to the habit of many dragonfiies with prey, 

 it was too restless for capture ; one secured with prey had caught 

 a sub-imago of the Mayfly Ejrfiemera danica, Mull. A male of 

 C. splendens, Harris was met with in May at Hampton Water- 

 works, Middlesex (Blair). 



LestiDjE. — Lestes sponsa, Hans, was taken on Studland Heath, 

 Dorset on 16 Aug. (Stowell), and near Lewes in September 

 (Blair). 



AoRioNiDiE. — Platycnemis penmpes, Pall, was well out in the 

 New Forest on 23 June, and usually full coloured : it had 

 clearly been out some days at least. On 30 June it was very 

 common there as well as its whitish form — var. lactea, Charp. 

 Pyrrhosoma nymphula, Sulz. was common at Wicken Fen on 

 9 May (Lyle) ; it was taken,, somewhat teneral, in the Royal 

 Hort. Soc. Gardens on 8 May (Lucas) ; by 24 May it had been 

 out some time in Alice Holt (Stoweli). In the New Forest 

 one was caught on 10 May in rather teneral condition ; on 

 21 May it was sometimes fairly mature in colour and texture ; 

 by the end of the month it could be obtained of good colour. 

 The species was obtained mature as well as teneral on 3 June 

 at Stanmore Common, Middlesex (Lucas). P. tenellum, Vill. was 

 captured, teneral, on 21 June in the New Forest ; it was very 

 common there on the 30th of the month. An example of the 

 var. melanogastrum, Selys was secured in the Forest on 10 Sept. 

 (Lucas). On various occasions and in a number of its known 

 haunts in the New Forest Ischnura pumilio, Charp. was sought 

 for in 1920, but without success, and it seems certain that this 

 little dragonfly has disappeared, at any rate for the time being 

 (Lucas). Its congener, /. elegans, Lind. was captured at Hatch- 

 mere, Cheshire, in August (Jackson) ; it was met with as late 

 as 14 Sept. near Hythe in the New Forest (Lucas). Agrion 

 pulchellum, Lind. is reported from Delamere in June (Jackson). 

 A. puella, Linn, was taken at Stanmore Common on 3 June, 

 and at Epsom Common, Surrey, on 11 June (Lucas) ; at 

 Bainow, Cheshire, on 7 Aug. (Neave). On 21 June both sexes of 

 A.mercuriale, Charp. were found at Duck-hole Bog in the New 

 Forest, males being numerous. Most were mature in colouring, 

 and one or two cases of connection per collum were noticed. At 

 Oberwater on 30 June males were very common ; a few females 

 also were taken. This sex always appears to be less common in 

 this species than the male, but it is possibly because the females 

 are less active. In one female the blue colouring was very dee]). 



