8(3 



STUDIES IN THE LIFE-HISTORIES OF 

 AUSTRALIAN ODONATA. 



No. 4. Further notes on the life-history of 

 Petalura gigantea Leach. 



By R. J. TiLLYARD, M.A., F.E.S. 



(Plate vii.) 



Since the publication, in 1909*, of my paper on the life- 

 history of I'd (i! lira (jiijanteii Leach, I have collected a con- 

 siderable amount of new and interesting information about 

 it. This is now included in the present paper, and brings 

 the study of this remarkable species much closer to com- 

 pletion. 



After I had obtained the supply of exuvias from the Leura 

 swamp (Blue Mountains), in 1908, I determined, if possible, 

 to find the living larva. For this purpose, I visited Leura 

 in October, 1909, and searched tlie swamp carefully, collect- 

 ing mud from various "pot-holes" and examining it, and 

 also dredging the larger holes in the swamp. No success 

 attended these efforts. However, during a visit to Medlow, 

 Blue Mountains, in the middle of November, 1909, I found 

 a fairly lax'gc and conveniently situated swamp, over a 

 restricted portion of which the Petdhtra exuviae were found 

 clinging to the I'eed-stems. The next morning I got up 

 about 5.30 a.m., and visited this swamp. As I expected, 

 the I'ctdlura larvae were emerging in fair numbers, and 

 many were only just climbing out of the swamp. As I 

 particularly wanted to examine the gizzard of the larva, T 

 collected half-a-dozen quickly into a box, and returned with 

 them. But so rapidly was the final change approaching, 



* Studies in the Life-Histories of AustraliaM Odonata, ['art i., These 

 Pioceediiigs, 1909, Vol., xxxiv , p. 697. 



