THE DRAGONFLIES OF EPPING FOREST.
5
not originated at the ponds where they were taken, for they
appeared suddenly, at the principal site at all events, fully
matured ; moreover, several of them presented broken wings or
legs. We found this dragonfly to differ in some of its habits
from the common species of the same genus, for not only did it
seem to be as active on dull days as on bright ones, but it mani-
fested none of the fondness of its congeners for returning again
and again to precisely the same spot. It is worthy of remark
that a search for the species at the larger sheets of water proved
unavailing. Our specimens were got at wet hollows more or
less overgrown with rushes; and in all cases we found the
insects, when not on the wing, resting about midway down the
stems of the rushes. The general agreement of their coloration
with that of the rush flowers, added to the grasshopper-like
spring with which they commenced their flights, rendered suc-
cessful pursuit a matter of great difficulty. Their flights were
neither very rapid nor very prolonged, but, when an individual
was very closely pressed, it sometimes took refuge in the tops of
tall trees. The large saffron patch at the base of each hind
wing readily distinguished S. flaveolum from its allies, even on
the wing. In the living males the colour of the thorax appeared
to us to be, not deep red, as has been stated, but brownish, in
decided contrast with the red of the abdomen. Females of this
species are seldom met with in Great Britain, and the latest re-
corded capture was that made by Mr. B. Harwood at St. Osyth,
Essex, on August 21st, 1899. In the wings of our specimen the
small saffron patch at the cubital point is connected by a streak
of the same colour with the large basal patch. The measure-
ments agree with those of the two Continental specimens referred
to in Mr. Lucas's 'British Dragonflies,' the length being 33 mm.,
and the width across the hind wings 56 mm.
(15) 8. vulgatum.—On September 4th we took a Sympetrum
which we at once suspected to be S. vulgatum, a dragonfly but
thrice recorded, with authority, as a British insect. It was a
male, and appeared to be the sole representative of its kind then
present, although other Sympetrum dragonflies, including at least
one S. sanguineum, were flying in its company. We were led to
distinguish it from S. striolatum, with which the rare species is
frequently confused, by the uniform brownness of the sides of
the thorax, crossed only by black lines, and by the richer colora-
tion and more pronounced posterior expansion of the abdomen.
Closer inspection showed that the vertical black line upon the
frons where it abuts upon the eyes, a character proper to vul-
gatum, was present in our specimen, and that the wings were
more hyaline than the wings of the common species, which are
frequently tinged with brown. The measurements were found
to be: length 40 mm., expanse of hind wings 59 mm. The
specimen was subsequently submitted, for examination, to Mr.