154 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



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. 



V. — THE ENGLISH LAKE DISTRICT. 



THE best hunting-ground for dragon-flies in the 

 North of England is undoubtedly the Lake 

 District of Cumberland and Westmoreland. Here 

 we may meet with these grand insects in all their 

 glory, combined with the most charming and diversi- 

 fied scenery. 



Ambleside, which is situated at the top end of the 

 beautiful expanse of Windermere, will be found a 

 very convenient place where to fix our headquarters, 

 as it is in the centre of this delightful district. From 

 hence we may make short expeditions to Lakes 

 north, south, east and west with great facility. 



The following is a list of the various kinds of 

 dragon-flies which may be met with in this far-famed 

 district of mountain, lake and stream : Platetrum 

 depressum (not uncommon). Leptetrum quadrimacu- 

 lata (common). Orthctrum carulescerts [(local and 

 scarce). Leucorrhinia dubia (on extensive moors in 

 the north of England,* but very local). Sympetritm 

 vulgatum (abundant): S. flaveolum (local). S. 

 scoticum (plentiful). Cordulia anca (very local ; has 

 been taken at Windermere). Cordulegastcr annulatus 

 (abundant on all streams). Brachytron pratense 

 (doubtful). ALschna juncia (not uncommon). A. 

 cyanca (ditto). AZ.grandis (local). Calopteryx virgo 

 (abundant). C. splendens (ditto). Lestes sponsa 

 (local). Platycnemis pennipes (ditto). Enallagma 

 cyathigerum (abundant ; on August 1st, 1887, I met 

 with this species in immense numbers at Windermere; 

 they were probably a second brood, produced by the 

 abnormal heat and fine weather of the summer of that 

 season). Agrion pulcluilitm (doubtful). A. puella 

 (abundant). Ischnura clcgans (common). Pyrrkosoma 

 minium (plentiful). 



The preceding is a very meagre list of the Odonata 

 of the English Lake District, which is accounted for 

 by the fact that it has been so little explored by 

 collectors of these beautiful insects. There is no 

 doubt that anyone who would assiduously apply 

 himself to the task could easily add several species to 

 the dragon-fly fauna of the delightful domain in 

 question. Among the lakes and mountains of Cum- 

 berland and Westmoreland there ought to be several 

 good species yet to be discovered which have hitherto 

 remained unrecorded. 



VI. — THE SCOTCH LAKE DISTRICT. 



To those dragon-fly hunters whose intention it is 

 to spend their holidays in the Highland Lake District 



* Vide my " Illustrated Handbook of British Dragon-flies." 



this summer, the following information may not prove 

 unacceptable. 



The best locality in this extensive area is at 

 Rannock, in Perthshire, where two species are found, 

 namely, Somatocklora melallica, and Aschna borcalis, 

 which occur nowhere else in the British Isles. Both 

 of these beautiful insects will be found fully described 

 in my little work entitled "An Illustrated Handbook 

 of British Dragon-flies," which has been previously 

 alluded to. 



In addition to the above two rare and local species, 

 the following may be found in the Scotch Lake 

 District : Platetrum depressum (rare). Leptetrum 

 quadrimaculata (abundant). Orthctrum carulescens 

 (very local). Sympetrum vulgatum (plentiful). S. 

 flaveolum (very local, but usually abounds wherever 

 it occurs).* S. scoticum (abundant everywhere). 

 Cordulegastcr annulatus (frequents all the mountain 

 brooks and streams). Brachytron pratense (very 

 local). sEschna mixta (occurs in Scotland on the 

 authority of Dr. Hagen). Aschna juncca (abundant 

 everywhere). AZ. cyania (rare and local). A. 

 grandis (ditto). Calopteryx virgo (common, but 

 local). C. splendens (ditto). Lestes sponsa (common). 

 Platycnemis pennipes (common, but very local). 

 Enallagma cyathigerum (very plentiful). Agrion 

 pulchellum (very local). A. puella (common). Isch- 

 nura pumilio jvery local and rare). /. elegans 

 (plentiful). Pyrrkosoma minium (abundant). 



The number of species of dragon-flies, hitherto 

 recorded as occurring in Scotland, is twenty-four, but 

 there is no doubt that after a little exploration and 

 investigation this number could be increased. Several 

 species which have been known to occur in the north 

 of England, have at present not been found in North 

 Britain, so there is plenty of scope for those who 

 wish to add to the list of the Odonata of the latter 

 country. 



A FEW REMARKS BY AN UNSCIENTIFIC 

 OBSERVER UPON VEGETABLE TERA- 

 TOLOGY. 



I HAVE been much interested in papers discuss- 

 ing "Vegetable Teratology" during the last 

 three years in Science Gossip. From the vari 

 discussions on the subject, I take it to be the pre- 

 valent scientific idea that plants showing any vagaries 

 and abnormal methods of growth are endeavouring 

 to return more or less to a primitive form. 



How many of the scientific writers have examined 

 carefully into the position, health and surroundings 

 of those plants supposed to be discontentedly reach- 

 ing back to their ancestors ? I think those who do 

 so will find in almost every case a more simple and 

 natural reason for the curious deformities so often 

 found. 



* Vide my " Illustrated Handbook of British Dragon-flies." 



