348 MONOGRAPH OP THE GENUS SYNTHEMIS, 



enormous central spots; basal spots sometimes present, often 

 obsolete, apical seventh of segment black; 8, a tiny basal 

 dorsal spot sometimes present, a pair of subtriangular spots; 9 

 black; 10 black, a sharp conical upright dorsal spine, black. 

 Appendages: superior 3'5 mm., black, fairly straight, tips 

 enlarged both outwards and inwards to a point, forming a barb- 

 shaped end; inferior 2*2 mm., narrow subtriangular, slightly 

 upcurved(P]ate vii., figs.3rt and b.) 



9- Similar to male, but with shorter body and larger spread of 

 wing. Total length 52-59 mm.; abdomen 40-44 mm.; hindwing 

 36 mm.; pterostigma 24 uim., black. 



Head and thorax as in male. Abdomen thicker, more cylin- 

 drical, marked as follows — 1, black; 2, black with a pair of 

 irregular slanting yellow spots enclosing a cup-shaped black 

 dorsal area; 3, basal half yellow, enclosing an elongated black 

 diamond-shaped patch, apical half black; 4-6 similar to male; 7, 

 bright yellow all over except last 1 mm. apically; 8 black, a pair 

 of minute yellow spots; 9-10 black, no spine on 10. Ovipositor 

 nearly obsolete; reduced to a pair of separate short black pro- 

 cesses (see Plate vii., figs. 16a and b). Appendages 2-4 mm., black, 

 narrow sublanceolate, pointed. 



Types : British Museum and Coll. MacLachlan. 



Hah. — Queensland, from the Tropic southwards, New South 

 Wales, Eastern Victoria. Inhabits swamps and slow-running 

 creeks in wooded country. 



I have taken this beautiful insect at Gladstone(Q.), in the 

 Sydney district(N.S.W.), and at Alexandra(Vic.). Specimens 

 from the last locality are of great size (one being figured in the 

 plate). There is very little variation in the markings of this, 

 the most beautiful member of the genus, 



L i f e - h i s t o r y of S y n t h e m i s r e g i n a . 



In the Sydney district, this fine insect is found in fair numbers 

 on the slow-running and often stagnant Duck Creek at Auburn. 

 It emerges early in December, and is continually on the wing 

 until the end of March. I have found newly emerged specimens 



