The Odonata. or Dragoiiflies of South Africa. 417 



limits of this species, which is extremely common iu tropical Africa, 

 and known also from Algeria, where it is said to be gregarious iu 

 habits. 



SYMPETRUM (Newman, 1833). 



A geuus of many species aud wide distribution iu the Northern 

 temperate zone of the Old World aud of America. A siugle species 

 penetrates into South Africa. 



Sympetrdm Fonscolombbi (Selys, 1840). 



S. Afr. Mus. : 1 c^,Matopo Dam, Bulawayo (16 . ii . 1911) ; 1 c^ , 

 2 9 , Rietfouteiu, Transvaal (6 . ii, 18 . x . 1904) ; 1 c? . Warmberg, Tv. 

 (17.iv.l904) ; 1 cT, 1 ?■ Waterval, Tv. (10.x. 1899); 4 c?, 8 ?, 

 Cape Town (ix . 1913, L, Peringuey) ; 1 9. Stelleubosch (ix.1913, 

 E. M. Lightfoot). Brit. Mus. : 1 9 , N.E. Rhodesia, Luwunibu Valley, 

 Upper Luangwa, 2500-3000 ft. (19, 26 . vii . 1910, S. A. Neave) ; 1 ? , 

 Salisbury (Marshall) ; 2 (^ , Boksburg, Johannesburg (C. H. Pead) ; 



1 (J , Transvaal (A. Ross) ; 4cJ,l 9 , Deelfouteiu (1903, Col. Sloggett) ; 



2 c?, Orange River Colony (1902, G. E. B. Hamilton) ; 1 S,^ 9, 

 Simons Town; 1 c? , 3 9- Cape (very old specimen). Coll. E. B. 

 Williamson: 2 $, Salisbury, 5000 ft. (i, iii . 190li, Marshall). Mus. 

 Berlin: 4 ^J, 2 ?, Kalahari (L. Schultze). 



^ . Labium yellow ; labrum, face and frons brilliant scarlet, 

 narrowly lined with bluish white at the sides ; broad, deep black 

 basal line on frons. Thorax rich reddish golden brown dorsally ; 

 sides with two broad vvhitisli bands on mesepimeron aud metepimeron, 

 those bands turning gradually to greenish or olivaceous shades iu 

 dors;il half, or altogether fading in very mature specimens ; inter- 

 termediate space at metastigma dull red. Abdomen comparatively 

 robust, scarcely contracted at third segment, brilliant scarlet ; broad 

 black mid-dorsal band on segments 8-9. Legs black ; femora and 

 tibiae with narrow external yellow lines. Wings with neuration light 

 red, very gradually darker from nodal region outward ; golden yellow 

 basal spot in hind wings of variable extent, but at least to Cnq aud 

 apex of membrauule. Pterostigma very liglit.ochreous yellow between 

 black veins. Membranule white. 



9 . Ante- and postclypeus greeuish white, lips, face aud frons very 

 light yellowish. Thorax light yellowish brown instead of the reddish 

 colour of males ; lateral greenish-white bauds not considerably 

 darkened dorsally. Abdomen light oclireous. Neuration of wings 

 very light oclireous instead of red ; pterostigma as iu male. 



