410 LIFE-HISTORY OF LESTES LED A SELYS, 



animalcula so introduced than on any supplies of " water-fleas " 

 or other small aquatic creatures that I procured for them. There 

 was always a large mortality amongst them, especially whenever 

 the water was changed. In the end, I found it best to leave the 

 water stagnant and not to change it at all, only supplying suffi- 

 cient to make up for loss by evaporation, and cleaning the sides 

 of the aquarium from aquatic growths just sufficiently to enable 

 observations to be carried on. In this stagnant water the 

 larvae throve excellently, so that during the second year of my 

 observations I obtained much better results with them. 



Distributio n. — -Lestes leda Selys, a pretty little blue 

 Agrionid, is certainly the commonest dragonfly of the Sydney 

 district, though perhaps not the most noticeable. As regards 

 distribution, it appears to be fairly common all over New South 

 Wales, and especially along the coastal districts. It seldom 

 occurs, however, on the rapid creeks of the mountain districts, 

 where its place is taken by Lestes cingulatvs. Thus, for example, 

 on the Blue Mountains, Lestes leda is practically absent, being 

 confined to a few swamps and water-holes; and in the Monaro 

 district I found it only high up on the Kosciusko range at an 

 altitude of 4,000-5,000 feet, whilst L. cingulatus was abundant 

 everywhere. The species is also met with all over Victoria, 

 where its congener L. analis is far more abundant; in South 

 Australia, sparingly about Adelaide and the Murray River, being- 

 replaced by L. analis and L. annulosus, both of which are com- 

 moner. Going northwards along the coast from Sydney, it soon 

 begins to become rarer; and at Byron Bay a smaller species 

 L. psyche is probably equally common with it. In Southern 

 Queensland it occurs in widely scattered localities about Brisbane 

 and also all over the Darling Downs. Further north it becomes 

 rare and I doubt if it can be indicated as extending beyond 

 Rockhampton or Mackay. In collecting in the Townsville and 

 Cairns districts I never met with it. 



It is evident that the larvae will not live in swiftly running 

 creeks and rivers. Hence it is essentially an insect of the plains 

 or low hill country. It will always be found in the greatest 



