17 s 



HARD WICKE'S SCIENCE- G 0SS7P. 



ample) are nearly absent in the Mymars, or only 

 represented by three convergent spines or bristles, 

 which receive the thickened margin of the anterior 

 wing between them. The abdomen in this Anaphes, 

 is sessile ; but in many genera of the Mymaridce it is 

 petiolated, i.e. attached to the thorax by a very slim 

 waist, such a waist in fact as some of our doctors 

 are always preaching against (and rightly too) as 

 displacing the hearts and livers of our wives and 

 daughters. Underneath, in the female, the power- 

 ful ovipositor is placed. 



These beautiful insects should be mounted in 

 balsam and are so small and slight that many of 

 them require no cell ; but beware of pressure when 

 the mount is completed, as they have a very tiresome 

 way of parting with their heads on the slightest 

 provocation. 



It is related that the good Bernardin de St. Pierre 



sat himself down to write a comprehensive history of 

 animated nature, but that happening to look up from 

 his work, he saw on his window-panes such a number 

 of minute flies, about which he knew nothing, that he 

 gave up the idea. I wonder if our little Mymars were 

 among them to enjoy the joke ? 



I append a short synopsis of the Mymaridre. It is 

 no doubt very imperfect, but may, I think, prove 

 useful, and in it will be found all the " bad 

 words " which I promised at the beginning of my 

 paper. 



The figure of Anephes is drawn from a beautiful 

 mount by Mr. F. Enock, which I have before me. 



In compiling this table I have made free use of 

 Foerster's "Synopsis;" and am greatly indebted to 

 Mr. F. Enock, and to my friend Dr. J. W. Gooch 

 of Windsor, for valuable information. 



T. E. Amyot. 



FAMOUS COLLECTING GROUNDS FOR DRAGON-FLIES.— VII. 



LIST OF BRITISH DRAGON-FLIES, WITH THEIR GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION, 

 HABITAT, AND TIME OF APPEARANCE IN THE IMAGO STATE. 



By W. Harcourt Bath, Author of "An Illustrated Handbook of British Dragon-flies," "A Label 



List of British Dragon-flies," etc., etc. 



Name. 



1. Plate /rum depres- 



sant. 



2. Leptetrum quadri- 



maeulata. 



3. Libellula fulva 



4. Orthetrum carules 



cens. 



5. 0. canecllatum . 



6. Leueorrhinia pec- 



toralis. 



7. L. dubia . 



8. Sympetrum vulga 



turn. 



9. S. meridional! . 



10. S. Fonscolombii 



11. S. Jla-ueohtm . 



12. S. sanguincum 



13. S, Scoticum 



14. Somatochlora me- 



tallica. 



15. Condulia anea . 



16. Oxygaslra Curtisii 



Geographical Distribution. 



England, Scotland, Ireland ; 



common, but local in the 



north. 

 England, Scotland, Ireland ; 



common, but local. 

 England, in the south and 



south-east ; local. 

 England, Scotland, Ireland ; 



local. 

 England ; local in the south 



England ; one specimen at 



Sheerness in i860. 

 England ; very local 

 England, Scotland, Ireland ; 



very abundant. 



England ; twice only in the 

 Metropolitan district. 



England ; thrice only in the 

 south. 



England, Scotland ; very 

 local. 



England ; south, local . 



England, Scotland, Ireland ; 



common, but local. 

 Scotland ; very local (Ran- 



nock Wood in Perthshire) 

 England, Scotland, Ireland ; 



very local, but not rare. 

 England ; very local in the 



south. 



Habitat. 



Ponds, marshes, canals, 

 fields, lanes, gardens, open 

 spaces in woods, etc. 



Ditto 



Ponds and marshes . 



Ponds, marshes, gravel-pits, 

 roads, etc. 



Ponds, gravel-pits, brick- 

 holes, canals, and marshes. 



Pools and pits on moors 

 Ponds, canals, gravel pits, 



open spaces in woods, 



roads, &c. 



Ponds and marshes, etc. 



Ponds, paths in woods, and 



on roads. 

 Ponds and marshes, etc., 



particularly on moors. 

 Ponds 



Marshes, ponds, and moist 



woods. 

 Rivers and streams . 



Time of Appearance. 



End of April to end 

 of August. 



Middle of May to 



August. 

 Middle of May to 



end of July. 

 May to September. 



End of June to 

 middle of August. 



July and August. 

 May to October. 



May to August. 

 June and July. 

 June to August. 

 July. 



End of May to middle 



of July. 

 Beginning of June to 



middle of July. 



