398 NEW AUSTEALIAN SPECIES OF THE FAMILY CALOPTERYGIDJi, 



The specific name is adopted on the suggestion of M. Martin sa 

 as to maintain the uniformity of the specific nomenclature in use 

 for this genus. 



Note on D. lesto'ides Selys. — In making the foregoing compari- 

 son, I have had recourse only to my own series of this insect, 

 taken during Dec- Jan., 1905, on the Snowy River, Jindabyne, 

 N.S.W. M. Rene Martin, in his remarks* on the specimens sent 

 him from Victoria, says : — " Elle varie tellement pour la taille et 

 la coloration qu'on serait tente de voir deux especes distinctes, 

 quand on considere un grand male tout vert mat ou bleu luisant 

 ayant un abdomen de 35 a 36 mm. et 7 antenodales, et d'autre 

 part un petit male plus on moins varie de noir sur le corps, ayant 

 un abdomen de 30 mm. et seulement 4 antenodales, mais on 

 trouve toutes les tallies et toutes les colorations intermediaires." 



The specimens to which these remarks apply were taken on 

 the Goulburn River, Victoria, if I mistake not. On the Snowy 

 River I took and examined hundreds of specimens, and I can 

 truly say I found exceedingl}'' little variation in size, not more 

 than 2 mm. either in length of abdomen or expanse of wings. 

 The newly emerged $ has a flabby brownish abdomen marked 

 with black, very similar to that of the 9, and it takes some weeks 

 before the rich blue colour has covered the whole body. A male 

 some days old shows the blue colouration beginning from the 

 2nd segment dow^nwards, and one can meet with them in all 

 stages of colouration. But I am certain that the insect is never 

 dull green {vert mat). Dried specimens generally lose their 

 colour entirely and turn dull black or brown, but several well- 

 matured specimens I had, turned a deep dull green and remained 

 so for many weeks, though that colour has now disappeared. 

 Doubtless some of M. Martin's specimens reached him in this 

 condition. As regards the variation in size, it must be due to 

 the colder climate and the later advent of summer in Victoria, 

 whereby many specimens never reach full maturity; for even on 

 the Snowy River at the end of January most of the specimens 

 were flabby, ill-nourished, and but half-matured. 



* Memoires de la Soci6t6 Zoologique de France, 1901, pp. 243-244. 



