In the L.N.H.S.. Syms' involvement seems to have been mainly with the Entomological Section
(formed in 1925). and there are reports of his having spoken to meetings of the section on British
Neuroptera (1938). Plecoptera (1946) and the breeding of insects (1953). Syms joined the 'South
London' in 1916. was Assistant Secretary from 1928 to 1930. indoor meetings secretary from 1938 to
1952. Hon. librarian for 26 years- from 1926 to 1952-and was voted an Honorary Member in 1960.
At his death. Syms' lantern slides were donated by his son to the South London (now 'British')
Entomological and Natural History Society. Though Syms certainly was a collector, of books and
periodicals, as well as insect specimens, he had a great interest in the life-histories of insects, and
was above all a field-naturalist. F. D. Buck tells us that Syms, like Hugh Main, a great friend of his.
was 'more concerned with living insects than with cabinet specimens' (Buck, 1966). Several of the
younger naturalists who knew both Syms and Hugh Main have paid tribute to their kindness and
generosity in helping and advising beginners.
Edgar Syms' first published work on the Essex dragonflies (Syms. 1929). was. like so many
previous lists, confined to Epping Forest. His article begins with a useful account of the
classification, structure and reproduction of dragonflies, and goes on to present a list of the
dragonflies of the 'neighbourhood of Epping Forest' for the previous fifteen years (i.e. covering the
period between the last reports of the Campions, and the late 1920s). The list contains twenty-one
species and. in a separate note. S. flaveolum is reported as having been recorded for the Forest
(presumably not by Syms). The three scarce Forest species. S. danae, B. pratense and C. aenea are
common to Syms' and Hammond's unpublished lists, and also, like Hammond, Syms appears not
to have seen A. mixta in the Forest up to this date. The appearance of more moving-water species.
such as Calopteryx virgo and Coenagrion pulchellum may indicate an improvement in the status of
these species since the period of the Campions' lists, or may have to do with the ill-defined of the
boundaries of the survey area (two of the best slow-moving water sites in Essex -the Rivers Lee and
Roding - run close to the Forest).
One of the younger naturalists who was helped and encouraged by Hugh Main and Edgar Syms
was Edward B. Pinniger. Though he now lives in Berkshire. Pinniger's home was in Essex for some
sixty-eight years, first at Highams Park, and subsequently, from 1927. at Chingford. Then in his
mid-teens, Pinniger was able to explore Epping Forest by bicycle. His interest in natural history
was encouraged by his parents, and his attention was turned to dragonflies in particular by
Hammond and also by his contemporary at school. J. D. Gillett. who also knew Hammond. Early
on. Pinniger joined both the L.N.H.S. and the 'South London'. At meetings of the latter, he met
W. J. Lucas, then an old man. and the great specialist on dragonfly life-histories. A. E. Gardner. By
this time, also, Cynthia Longfield was active in the L.N.H.S. with its newly founded Entomological
Section. It was she, who, together with C. L. Collenette. encouraged the younger Pinniger to publish
his researches on the dragonflies of the Forest.
Pinniger's talk on the 'Paraneuroptera of Epping Forest' was delivered to the Entomological
Section of the L.N.H.S. in 1932 and was published in the London Naturalist for that year (Pinniger.
1933). The article gives useful references to the main earlier contributions to our knowledge of the
Epping Forest Odonata, together with descriptions, flight periods and so on of all the recorded
species. Though believing at least twenty-two species occurred in the Forest. Pinniger himself had
found just twenty. He had been unable to find either Aeshna mixta or Brachytron pratense, but
reported published sightings of these species by other observers. On the other hand, Coenagrion
pulchellum and Calopteryx virgo, absent from some earlier lists for the Forest, were reported by
Pinniger. Another interesting re-appearance is Platycnemis pennipes, but the report is of a singleton
only, found in 1932, and may not. therefore, represent a breeding population within the
Forest.
Pinniger continued with annual reports on the Odonata of Epping Forest, sometimes with notes
on other localities in Essex and acknowledging records from Longfield. L. Parmenter and K. M.
Guichard (at that time secretary of the Entomological Section of the L.N.H.S.), until 1937. The
report for 1933 (Pinniger, 1934a) gives a total of fourteen species on the wing in the Forest by mid-
June. B. pratense was seen for the first time in the Forest by Pinniger in that year, 'in some numbers'.
and E. najas, too. was now to be found on nearly every pond in the Forest. However, only one
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