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REVISION OF THE GENUS PAROPSIS. 

 By Rev, T. Blackburn, B.A., Corresponding Member. 



Part V. 



[Continuing the treatment of the species forming Group VI. (as 

 characterised in P.L.S.N.S.W. 1896, p. 638) of the genus.] 



Subgroup v. 



The difficulties of the genus Parojysis cuhiiinate in the present 

 subgroup, and I have been much tempted to omit it from this 

 " Revision." On full consideration, however, it seems best to 

 include it, even though I can deal with it only in a fragmentary 

 and uncertain manner. As no systematic treatise on these insects 

 has yet appeared, this attempt of mine may at any rate serve as 

 a point of departure for future observers. The most formidable 

 difficulty that these species present arises from the fact that they 

 are for the most part, on the one hand of very fragile texture 

 drying into extremely variable shapes according to their condition 

 at the time of death and very liable to be affected in respect of 

 their sculpture by long immersion in spirits, and on the other 

 hand adorned when living with bright metallic colours which fade 

 after death into a uniform brownish or testaceous tint. These 

 peculiarities have in very few instances been mentioned by (or 

 probably known to) describers, — so that there are very few des- 

 criptions extant which can be confidently identified with actual 

 specimens. 



For the determination of species I find it indispensable to know 

 something of the colours and markings of the living insect, but 

 fortunately this is not an impracticable requirement since 

 immersion for 24 hours in benzine (or even in water) always 

 revives the colours of a mature specimen sufficiently for the 

 purpose. 



