L.N.H.S. area (20 miles radius of St. Paul's Cathedral). However, since this area includes some of
the most important and (by previous naturalists) best-studied sites in the county, the value of the
report is very considerable.
Longfield listed as still present in the L.N.H.S. section of Essex some twenty-five species
(including the two rare migrant Sympetrum species). She also listed a further seven species as
having been recorded in this part of the county previously, but subsequently lost. These seven
included C. pulchellum, which, she commented, had not been known in the county since the end of
the 19th century, until its discovery at Foulness in 1943. In view of the inclusion of this species in
both Syms' and Pinniger's lists for Epping Forest, with which Longfield was undoubtedly familiar.
this comment is surprising. Given the variability of C. pulchellum and the great difficulty of
separating some of its forms from C. puella it may be that some doubt persisted over the correct
determination of some records of the former species.
With the somewhat doubtful exceptions of C. pulchellum and O. coerulescens (only once recorded
from Essex in any case) it appears from Longfield's list that no species had been lost from that part
of Essex covered by the survey in the previous half century. One or two, such as C. virgo were said to
be in decline, whilst two more, O. cancellatum and A. mixta, had established themselves as new
breeding species in the county, and yet another had been recorded for the first time (Pinniger's
capture of a single specimen of C. boltonii in 1930 in Epping Forest). Essex sites mentioned by
Longfield include the Lee Navigation Canal, the Rivers Roding and Stort, Epping Forest.
Coopersale Common. Chingford. Ongar Park. Hainault Forest, and reservoirs at Wanstead and
Walthamstow, within the L.N.H.S. area, and Foulness beyond it.
Fig B.3 Dragonfly Recording in Essex, Coverage Prior to 1950.
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