Tilltard. — Dragon-flies from the K ermadec Islands. 127 



frontal patch on the head, and the sharp spine on the underside of 

 the male appendages, has never before been recorded outside Australia. 

 It ranges from Victoria, through New South Wales, to northern Queens- 

 land, but does not occur west of the main mountain-ranges. Its capture 

 in the Kermadec Islands is therefore of considerable interest. The genus 

 Hemicordulia is post-Miocene, so that the occurrence of this species may 

 be taken as evidence of late land connection between Australia and the 

 Kermadecs. The species is non-migratory, and does not occur in Tas- 

 mania, though exceedingly common on the northern shores of Bass Strait. 

 The inference, therefore, is that the Kermadecs may have been united 

 in some way, possibly via New Caledonia and Queensland, to Australia 

 since the time (? Miocene) when Tasmania became separated. We should 

 also expect, possibly, to find this species on Lord Howe and Norfolk 

 Islands, whose Odonate fauna are still unknown. 



Fam. AESCHNIDAE. 

 Subfam. Aeschninae. 



3. Hemianax papuensis Burmeister (label No. 1, o)- 



1 $. Immature, but a fine specimen (appendages broken). Common 

 all over New Guinea and Australia, except Tasmania, where it is absent. 

 A strong flier, but not migratory. This reinforces the evidence of No. 2, 

 Hemianax also being a Miocene or post-Miocene genus. 



4. Aeschna brevistyla Rambur, 2 $ (label No. 1, $). 



One specimen immature, one mature. This insect is found all over 

 Australia, except in the most northern parts. It also occurs in Tasmania. 

 In New Zealand a somewhat smaller and darker form occurs, which, though 

 clearly conspecific with the Australian, may be distinguished at once from 

 it by its abdomen being exceedingly pinched at the third segment, and 

 its membranule very dark, with only a little white at the base. The 

 Kermadec specimens are identical with the New Zealand form. 



Fam. AGRIONIDAE. 

 Subfam. Agrioninae. 



5. Ischnura aurora Brauer (= /. delicata Selys), (label No.]4). 



5 c£, 6 $. A very beautiful species, of wide distribution, ranging 

 from the islands north of Australia, through Australia, to Tasmania. In 

 Western Australia a dimorphic female, coloured like the male, occurs. 

 The male has a bright-red abdomen shading to black, with a blue tip ; 

 the ordinary female is dull-blackish. These Kermadec specimens are 

 practically identical with any series of this insect taken round Sydney. 



In conclusion, therefore, this small collection shows the Kermadec 

 Odonata to have a strong Australian element (three species out of five), a 

 New Zealand element (one species), and an oceanic element (one species) 



