26 
THE NATURALISTS’ JOURNAL. 
metallic green colour, and it is a beautiful sight to see it in its 
native haunts, darting about in the sunshine like a brilliant 
meteor. It delights chiefly in moist woods. 
Gomphus vulgatissimus and Covdulegastev annulatus are beautiful 
velvety black insects, striped and spotted with rich yellow. 
The former is chiefly to be found in the south of England, 
while the latter possesses a predilection for mountain streams, 
and is principally to be met with in the north. It is a very 
large and powerful species. 
AEschna grandis is one of the most majestic insects which 
occurs in the British Isles, measuring nearly five inches in the 
expanse of its wings, which are of a rich red or rusty hue. 
Two closely allied species, namely AE.juncea, and /E. cyanea are 
very common dragonflies, the former more especially in the 
north, the latter in the south. Their mazy aerial evolutions 
cannot fail to have attracted the attention and admiration of 
every reader of the Naturalists’ Journal during his rural 
rambles in the summer time. 
Two of the most beautiful species of dragonflies occurring 
in this country are Caloptevyx vivgo and C. splendens , both 
possessing rich metallic bodies and pretty coloured wings. 
Both of these lovely creatures abound in the vicinity of most 
streams during the summer months. 
The Agvionidce are a numerous family of small dragonflies. 
Lestes sponsa is of a metallic green colour, Pyrrhosoma minium 
is of a crimson hue, striped and- spotted with black and 
yellow, while Enallagma cyathigenim , Ischnuva elegans , Agvion 
puella and Agrion pulchellum are little blue and black species, 
which are all more or less abundant in moist meadows and 
other places in the vicinity of water. 
Full descriptions of all the above beautiful insects, together 
with an account of their habits and metamorphoses, &c., will 
be found in my “ Illustrated Handbook of British Dragon¬ 
flies,” which will be seen advertised elsewhere in the columns 
of this excellent magazine. W. Harcourt Bath. 
IN SEARCH OF SHELLS. 
Loch Whinyeon is just four miles distant across the moors 
from Gatehouse. I had never been there, but when a friend 
remarked to me one day that there were numerous bogs and 
mosses on the way up, I determined to go. I set off one 
morning about seven o’clock, full of expectation, and with 
the intention of having a real good day on the moors in 
search of shells, and if possible to add some new specimens to 
my collectiom 
