AQUATIC INSECTS IN THE ADIRONDACKS 455 



1897 Gomplius umbratus Needham, Cau. ent. 29:184 (described, from 



Ithaca) 

 1900 Gomphus sordidus Williamson, Dragon flies Ind. p. 292 



There are plenty of descriptions and figures of this troublesome species, 

 as will be seen from the above bibliography. I found both imagos and 

 nymphs associated with the same stages of G. descriptus Banks at 

 Ithaca. It is entirely similar to that species in habits, and in appearance, 

 but will be readily distinguished by the characters given in the tables. 

 The nymph is not easy to distinguish, however; in fact, I find it 

 necessary to make a microscopic examination of the labium before 

 being sure as to the species. I bred a good many specimens at Ithaca. 

 By way of description, I will only say that it is entirely similar to the 

 nymph of des cr ip t u s , so far as known to me, excepting in the dif- 

 ferential character stated in the table. 



Gomphus exilis Selys 



1854 Gomphus exilis Selys, Acad. Belg. (2) Bui. 21 : 55 

 1861 Gomphus exilis Hagea, Synopsis Neur. N. Am. p. 108 

 1872 Gomphus exilis Hagen, Bost. soc. uat. hist. Proc. 15 : 273 

 1875 Gomphus exilis Hagen, Bost. soc. nat. hist. Proc. 18 ; 45 

 1885 Gomphus exilis Hagen, Am. ent. soc. Trans. 12 : 263-64 (descrip- 

 tion of the nymph, and remarks on distribution) 



1893 Gomphus exilis Hagen, Am. ent. soc. Trans, 20 : 243 (description) 



1894 Gomphus exilis Banks, Can. ent. 26 : 77 (listed from Ithaca) 



1895 Gomphus exilis Calvert, N. Y. ent. soc. Jour. 3 : 45 (listed from 



Keeseville) 



1899 Gomphus exilis Kellicott, Odon. Ohio, p. 65 (description and figure) 



1900 Gomphus exilis Williamson, Dragon flies Ind. p. 293 (description 



and figure) 



This is one of the most generally distributed, and perhaps the com- 

 monest of the gomphines of the northeastern United States. At 

 Saranac Inn it was abundant, flitting by every roadside throughout the 

 month of June and well along into July. The nymphs were found in all 

 waters, and about the first of July the exuviae fairly sprinkled every 

 bank. Few imagos were observed in the immediate vicinity of the water, 

 after leaving it at transformation, and these few were mostly females 

 ovipositing. These spin along through the air at a lively rate, unattended 

 by the male, descending here and there to strike the surface and liberate 

 eggs, making but one or two dips in a place, and flying some distance 

 before descending again. The nymphs transform at the very edge of 

 the water, seldom crawling more than an inch or two above the surface 

 of it. Moss-grown logs in the edges of Little Clear ppnd were in many 



