The Odonata or Dragntifies of South Africa. 



253 



interruptiou of flight. The thoracic sutures, as giveu in our Text- 

 figs. 4 and 6, show clearly the homologies of the parts. lu the 

 Zygoptera all the sutui-es drawn in Text-fig. 4 are visible in many 

 cases, though there are genera and groups where the first lateral 

 suture is obliterated, at least in its up]ier half. In the Anisoptera 

 this suture disappears regularly upward from a level which corre- 

 sponds approximately to the metastigma ; but the homology of parts 

 is not seldom still visible in the disposition of the colours and 



FiQ. 4. — Phaon iridipentiis. Lateral view of thorax. p)'o(?i. Prothorax. 

 Ip. Posterior lobe of prothorax. ex. Coxa. tr. Trochanter, fern. 

 Femur, meseijist. Mesepisternum. mesepim. Mesepiiiieron. metepist. 

 Metepisteniuni. metepim. Metepimei'ou. visiepist. Mesiiifraepisternum. 

 mtiepist. Metinfraepistermun. ms. Median suture. hs. Humeral 

 suture. Us., 2h. First and second lateral sutures, diss. Mesostigma. 

 mts. Metastigma. aas. Antealar sinus, fw. Forewing. hw. Hiudwing. 



pattern. There are two pairs of respiratory stigmata on the thorax : 

 the mesostigma is in a concealed position in the joint between the pro- 

 and mesothorax, and the metastigma is comparatively large and a 

 leading featui-e in the structure and pattern of the thoracic side. 



The feet are slender, though comparatively strong, spiny, with 

 vaj'ious adaptations of their armature, according to systematic 

 position and sex. The coxae are free, relatively small, the trochanters 

 double ; the femora and tibise of about equal length ; the tarsi short, 

 thi'ee-jointed ; the claws mostly with a tooth on their ventral edge. 



Tlie wings bear neither hair nor scales, only some minute, almost 



