The Odonatit or DriKjoiijtic* <;/' South Africa. 417 



limits of this species, which is extremely common in tropical Africa, 

 and known also from Algeria, where it is said to be gregarious in 

 habits. 



SYMPETRUM (Newman, 1833). 



A genus of many species and wide distribution in the Northern 

 temperate zone of the Old World and of. America. A single species 

 penetrates into South Africa. 



SYMPETRDM FONSCOLOMBEI (Selys, 1840). 



S. Afr. Mus. : 1 ^,Matopo Dam, Bulawayo (16 . ii . 1911) ; 1 < , 

 2 9 , Rietfonteiu, Transvaal (6 . ii, 13 . x . 1904) ; 1 $ , Warmberg, TV. 

 (17 . iv . 1904) ;!.(?,!?, Waterval, TV. (10 . x . 1899) ; 4 J, 8 ? , 

 Cape Town (ix . 1913, L. Peringuey) ; 1 ?, Stelleubosch (ix.1913, 

 R. M. Lightfoot). Brit. Mus. : 1 $ , N.E. Rhodesia, Luwumbu Valley, 

 Upper Luaugwa, 2500-3000 ft. (19, 2(5 . vii . 1910, S. A. Neave) ; 1 ? , 

 Salisbury (Marshall) ; 2 ^ , Boksburg, Johannesburg (C. H. Pead) ; 



1 , Transvaal (A. Ross) ; 4^,1 ? , Deelfonteiii (1903, Col. Sloggett) ; 



2 <J, Orange River Colony (1902, G. E. B. Hamilton); 1 <J , 1 $, 

 Simons Town ; 1 ^ , 3 9 , Cape (very old specimen). Coll. E. B. 

 Williamson: 2 ?, Salisbury, 5000 ft. (i, iii . 1900, Marshall). Mus. 

 Berlin: 4^,2 ?, Kalahari (L. Schultze). 



<$ . Labium yellow ; labrum, face and frous brilliant scarlet, 

 narrowly lined with bluish white at the sides ; broad, deep black 

 basal line on t'rous. Thorax rich reddish golden brown dorsally ; 

 sides with two broad whitish bauds on mesepinieroii and metepimeron, 

 those bands turning gradually to greenish or olivaceous shades in 

 dorsal half, or altogether fading in very mature specimens ; inter- 

 termediate space at metastigma dull red. Abdomen comparatively 

 robust, scarcelv contracted at third segment, brilliant scarlet ; broad 

 black mid-dorsal baud on segments 8-9. Legs black ; femora and 

 tibiae with narrow external yellow lines. Wings with neuration light 

 red, very gradually darker from nodal region outward ; golden yellow 

 basal spot in hind wings of variable extent, but at least to GV/ and 

 apex of membranule. Pterostigma very light ochreous yellow between 

 black veins. Membranule white. 



9 . Ante- and postclypeus greenish white, lips, face and frons very 

 light yellowish. Thorax light yellowish brown instead of the reddish 

 colour of males ; lateral greenish-white bands not considerably 

 darkened dorsally. Abdomen light ochreous. Neuration of wings 

 very light ochreous instead of red ; pterostigma as in male. 



