BY R. J. TILLYARD. 363 



marked with creamy spots as follows: — 1, a dorsal mark; 2, a 

 sub-basal transverse baud, broken on dorsum; 3, two small basal 

 spots wide apart; 3-7, a pair of small rounded central spots; 8, a 

 pair of smaller- basal spots; 9-10 black. No ovipositor, central 

 folds of 8-9 wide open as in M. virgula (Plate vii., fig. 23). 

 Appendages 0"7 mm., black, straight, pointed, separated, a round 

 hairy tubercle projecting below on 10. 



Types: Coll. 8elys, (J9(" New Holland"). 



Hab. — Southern Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria. 

 Common on fast mountain-streams. 



Var. — Specimens from the Illawarra District of New South 

 Wales are of small size, and the male has a pale creamy or straw- 

 coloured labium. I propose to name this var. pallida; it does 

 not deserve subspecific rank. 



L i f e - H i s t o r y of M e t a themi s guttata. 



The perfect insect emerges in November, and continues a long 

 time on the wing, specimens being occasionally taken as late as 

 May. It is not common in the Sydney district, but I have 

 studied its habits on the Blue Mountain creeks, where it is often 

 abundant. Females are excessively rare compared with males; 

 for instance, I have seen only one pair this year, though I have 

 captured many males. Pairs are usually seen in the bush, away 

 from water. The female returns to the creek alone, and oviposits 

 ia a rapid, rather frightened manner, flying quickly up and down 

 the creek, and dipping the tip of her abdomen continually into 

 the water. The eggs are exuded in large masses, and are .similar 

 to those of S. eustalacta in size and shape, but greyish or dull 

 brownish in colour, semi-transparent. 



The larva lives in the clean sand of the clear running mountain- 

 streams. In concealment, it throws up sand over its back, and 

 settles down into a slight hollow, its eyes, frontal ridge and edge 

 of labium, and anal appendages alone being visible. In this 

 position in my aquarium, I have frequecitly fed it with mosquito- 

 larvse, which it eats with great avidity. When full-fed, it crawls 

 to the overhanging bank of the stream, and clambers up the 



