THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 25 



black. They frequent lagoons and marshes, and I have very 

 seldom seen them about running streams. They are not par- 

 ticularly strong of flight, and settle frequently on reeds, bushes, 

 &c., and on the ground. 



The male of 0. caledonicum is a very pale blue, or heliotrope, 

 much larger than Diplax. The body has a flattened appearance, 

 tapering almost to a point. The female is brownish-yellow, with 

 bronze markings. It is a swift-flying, restless insect, but fre- 

 quently settles on the ground. I have seen it on ponds, creeks, 

 and the Goulburn, but never far from water. 



Sub-family — Cordulinse. 

 Cordulephya pygmjea, Selys. 

 Hemicordulia novse-hollandise, Selys. 

 ,, australi£e, Rambur. 



„ tau, Selys. 



Synthemis eustalacta, Burm. 

 „ guttata, Selys. 



„ brevistyla, Selys. 

 „ virgula, Selys. 



C. pygmtea is a pretty little insect, very rare. I have only 

 seen it in one spot, a small lagoon, where it appears in small 

 numbers every March, and seems to spend most of its time 

 settled on tree trunks, logs, or posts, with its wings folded down 

 the back, which is opposed to the habits of the two following 

 genera, which settle with their wings spread out. It is bronze- 

 black, with thin yellow rings. No diff"erence of colouration 

 between sexes. 



The Hemicordulia are swift -flying insects of fair size, and have 

 no special resort. They are frequently met with in the bush, far 

 from any water. The three species mentioned are very similar 

 in appearance, brownish-yellow with bronze markings. H. taa 

 has a black T on the face, hence its name. H. auslralicn has 

 two brilliant metallic points and no T ; the male has a tooth on 

 the upper anal appendages, which is wanting in H. novca-hoilandiai, 

 as are also the T and the metallic points. No difference of colour- 

 ation between sexes. 



The Synthemis are similar in habits and size to the last genus, 

 but are all black insects marked with yellow spots. They 

 resemble each other a good deal, and are somewhat difticult to 

 differentiate. The sexes differ somewhat in markings but not in 

 colouration. 



Family II. — ^EscHNiDiE. 

 Sub-family — Gomphinse. 

 Austrogomphus gue'rini, Rambur. 

 ,, gouldi, Selys. 



,, ochraceus, Selys. 



