286 STUDIES IN AUSTRALIAN MECOPTERA. i., 



and I have others, as yet undescribed, from the Wianamatta 

 shale-beds at Narellan, near Camden, N.S.W. More interesting- 

 still is an undoubted Mecopterous wing from the Permo-Car- 

 boniferous beds of Belmont, near Newcastle, N.S.W., which I 

 hope to describe shortly, and which is the first record of the 

 existence of a Holometabolous Insect in Palaeozoic times. 



In Australia, so far, only seven species have been recorded, 

 belonging to four genera. In the spring and early summer, the 

 species of the genus Harpohittacns are commonly to be met with 

 flying rather lazily over bracken, grass, or low herbage, or visit- 

 ing tea-tree blossom in search of insects for food. These insects 

 are easily recognised owing to their general resemblance to the 

 Tipulidce or Crane-flies. In the autumn, the much rarer insects 

 of the subfamily Choristince appear. They are of very sluggish 

 flight, and must be searched for in the neighbourhood of fresh 

 water, amongst bracken or in partially dry reedy places. They 

 are very rare in collections, and it seems probable that a number 

 of new species still await discovery. The following is a list of 

 the known Australian species : — 



Family Fanorpidct, subfamily Choristina' : 



1. Chorisla australis Klug ( = Euphania luteoia Westwood). 



2. Chorista rujiceps Newman. 



3. Tceniochorista jmllida Esb.-Pet. 

 Family BittacidcE : 



4. Bittacus microcercus Gerst. 



f). Harpobittacus australis Klug ( = Bittacus corethrarius 

 Ramb., = B. intermedius 9 Selysj. 



6. Harpobittacus tillyardi Esb.-Pet. ( = Bittacus australis, as 



used by Froggatt in "Australian Insects '). 



7. Harpobittacus nigriceps Selys { = Bittacus intermedius $ 



Selys). 

 The above list and synonymy are taken from Esben-Petersen s 

 work. Bittacus mv^^ocercus Gerst., is unknowTi to me. 



As long ago as January, 1916, I received from Dr. A. J. 

 Turner a single female specimen of a remarkable Mecopterous 

 insect of very small size, collected bv him in Ebor Scrub {5,000 



