HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



97 



SOME FAMOUS COLLECTING-GROUNDS FOR DRAGON- 

 FLIES. 



By the Author of "An Illustrated Handbook of British Dragon-flies," "A Label List of British 



Dragon-flies," etc., etc. 



III.— THE FEN DISTRICT. 



\X , asISs 8 *^ HIS area, which com- 

 prises the marshy 

 districts of Norfolk, 

 Suffolk, Cambridge, 

 Huntingdon, and 

 Lincolnshire, is, 

 next to the New 

 Forest, probably the 

 best hunting-ground 

 for dragon-flies in 

 the British Isles. 



Although of late 

 years large tracts of 

 marshland in each 

 of the above coun- 

 ties have been 

 drained, there still 

 remain , thousands 

 and thousands of 

 acres which will 

 probably take centuries to reclaim. This is par- 

 ticularly the case in Norfolk, where, owing to tidal 

 influences, many of the fens are incapable of being 

 converted into cornfields, as they have been done so 

 extensively in the adjoining county of Cambridge. 



Dragon-fly hunting in the fens possesses many 

 charms for those who delight to revel in the midst of 

 nature. The most enjoyable way of spending a 

 holiday in this manner, would be to hire a yacht — 

 one built on the "wherry" plan, which is a very 

 comfortable craft and easily managed, would be found 

 the most suitable. A few days and nights spent on 

 the water in this way by a small party, would not 

 fail to prove a very pleasant occupation in the summer 

 time. 



The rivers and broads of Norfolk and Suffolk 

 No. 329. — May 1892. 



afford an inexhaustible field for operations by the 

 dragon-fly collector, as do also the extensive un- 

 drained fens of Cambridge, particularly Whittlesea 

 Mere, Burwash Fen and Wicken Fen. 



In the county of Norfolk the vicinity of Great 

 Yarmouth will be found a very good one for these 

 grand insects, as also will the neighbourhood of 

 Norwich, which is a very good centre of operations 

 for Wrexham Broad, Horning, and Fritton Decoy, all 

 of which are well-known happy hunting-grounds for 

 these "winged gems." 



The following is a list of the species of dragon-flies 

 which have been known to occur in the Fen District 

 of the East of England : Platetrum dcpressum 

 (common). Lilellula fulva (Burwash Fen and 

 Whittlesea Mere in Cambridgeshire, and Sprowston, 

 in the neighbourhood of Norwich ; in the latter 

 locality it is abundant in certain seasons). The 

 variety fugax (also has been taken in Whittlesea 

 Mere), Leptetrum quadrimaculata (common). The 

 variety pmnuiila (has been taken in Burwash Fen). 

 Orthetrum carulescens (not uncommon). O. can- 

 cellatum (Whittlesea Mere, also Horning and Faken- 

 ham in Norfolk, but very local). Leucorrhmia dubia 

 (Glandford Brigg in Lincolnshire, very local). Sym- 

 pelmm vulgatum (abundant everywhere). S. fiaveolum 

 (Whittlesea Mere, where it may always be met with 

 during favourable seasons). .S'. sanguincum (local). 

 S. scoticum (doubtful). Cordnlia anea (Wisbeach, 

 also Starston and Costessy Woods in Norfolk, but 

 very local). Comphus vidgatissimus (rare). Cor- 

 dulegaster annnlatus (scarce). Anax formosus (doubt- 

 ful). Brachytronpratense{yexy\oa\). sEschna juncea 

 (very local; I have had a specimen sent me from the 

 Devil's Dyke, in Cambridgeshire). ^£. cyanea (very 

 common). sE. grandis (common). sE, rufescens (the 



