An interesting old observation on dragonfly behaviour at the seaside, Indonesia

Dr J.C. Koningsberger, early in this century Director of the Botanical Gardens (“’s-Lands Plantentuin”) and Head of its Zoological Museum & Laboratory, at Buitenzorg, Java (cf. M.J. SIRKS, 1915, Indisch natuuronderzoek, Kolon. Inst., Amsterdam), published in 1908 some notes on the fauna of the Pulau Seribu Islands (formerly “Duizend Eilanden”), in the Java Sea, NW of Jakarta (J.C. KONINGSBERGER, 1908, Eenige aanteekeningen over de fauna der Duizend-Eilanden, Teysmannia 19: 363-374). On pp. 367- -368 appears the following note, referring to a seashore observation at the small “Pulu Panggang” island [Engl, translation from Dutch]: “Large dragonflies were preferably hiking over the sea, selecting the protruding corail rocks as resting sites. It is a pity 1 was unable to secure any specimens, as it would be certainly interesting to examine their stomach contents. Obviously they feed on small marine animals, which they catch in the way eagles and sea-gulls do. One can see the dragonflies continuously descending to the water surface.” Published in Dutch and in a little-known local Netherlands East Indies periodical, this note seems to have escaped the notice of most odonatologists.