98 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



THE DRAGONFLY SEASON OF 1895. 

 By W. J. Lucas, B.A. 



After the long and severe frost that marked the close of the 

 winter of 1894-5, neuropterists were naturally anxious for the 

 new season to commence in order that they might ascertain how 

 the nymphs had fared during the lengthened spell of arctic 

 weather. Now that the season is over, I think it may safely 

 be said that the unprecedented cold had few ill effects on the 

 odonate branch of the order ; for, judging from my own experi- 

 .ence, the season of 1895 was on the whole a good one ; and yet 

 there must have been many cases in which the smaller ponds, 

 that formed the winter home of various nymphs, were entirely 

 frozen up. But perhaps it is at present almost too early to 

 judge, as, seeing that several species take more than one year to 

 reach maturity, we cannot yet say how the smaller fry may have 

 stood the trying ordeal. 



Nymph-hunting, which I pursued on one or two occasions 

 only, produced but a single species, Lihellula quadmnaculata ; 

 but these were to be taken in profusion at the Black Pond, near 

 Esher. Amongst them a friend secured one specimen of Cordulia 

 cenea, but did not discover his prize till the imago appeared. I had 

 hoped to take the nymph of Anaxformosiis, but, after searching 

 in the right spot, was only rewarded with empty cases, from 

 which the imagines had fled. Numerous shells of what I felt sure 

 must be Enallagnia cyathigerum were on one occasion to be seen, 

 though I had not been able to find the lurking-place of the 

 nymphs. Indeed, I should scarcely like to ascribe them to that 

 species had I not found above one case an imago that had but just 

 emerged, and whose wings were not yet expanded. The empty 

 case, however, was so colourless and ethereal, that although, I 

 believe, no figure or description has ever been given of it, I have 

 not yet attempted to make either one or the other, but hope to 

 secure this spring living nymphs for the purpose. 



On several occasions I observed females, notably of L. quadri- 

 waculatay C. csnea, S. scoticum, and S. valgatum, while poised upon 

 the wing, ovipositing by dipping the abdomen in the water, and on 

 July 29th placed some eggs of the last in a fish-globe. A number 

 duly hatched out, and by Sept. 6th the nymphs, looking like tiny 

 spiders, were a trifle over 1 mm. in length Their life unfortu- 

 nately was not a long one, their surrounding probably being 

 unsuitable for them, or their food being insufficient. 



A specimen of Pyrrhosoma minium, immature, since it had 

 yellow markings, was the first imago to fall to the net, its capture 

 taking place at the Black Pond, near Esher, on May 3rd. This 

 species continued on the wing for about two months, the last 

 specimens being noticed on July 6th, Its congener, P. tenellum^ 



