—31 — 



On the genus Sympetrum, A\'2vma7i. 

 By Dr. H. A. Hagen. 



Mr. E. Newman, 1833, in Entomological Magazine, vol. I, p. 511 

 to 514, in a paper named "Entomological Notes," after treating some 

 other subjects, published a new genus Sympetrum, belonging to the 

 genus Libellula of Dr. Leach. Of the British species, belonging to this 

 genus, are described : S. scofica, Donovan ; 6". nifostigma, Newman 

 (= Z. sanguinea, Muell.) ; 6\ viilgatum, L. (= non, Linn. ; striolata, 

 Chp.); S. hasale, Newm. (= L. sanguinea, Muell.); S. flavtnlata, 

 Newm. (= L. flaveola, L. ). The remainder of Libellula he divided into 

 three genera, as Mr. Newman states. In a foot note the characters are 

 given as follows : 



Svmpetrum, abdomen laterally compressed — Ex. vulgatutu, L. 

 Orthetrum, abdomen laterally parallel-- Zlv. cccrulescefis, F., can- 



cellatum, L. 

 Plafeirum, abdomen depressed and dilated — Ex. depressum, L. , 



consparcatum. E. 

 Leptetrurn, abdomen conical and pointed — Ex. quadrimaculaium. 



L. , prcenubilum, Newm. 



"They will," the author adds, "in all probability resolve eventually into 

 three distinct genera, and as such I had once prepared them for publica- 

 tion together with Sympetrum as below, but a dislike to name-giving in- 

 duced me to relinquish them." I think by this statement it is evident, that 

 the three last genera, which Mr. Newman has himself later, duiing 43 

 years, never used, not even mentioned, have certainly no right of priority. 

 Indeed, Ento. Mag., I, p. 416, he speaks o'i Libellula prcenubila and LJb. 

 quadrimaculata, and ibid., vol. Ill, p. 151, prints in a paper of his friend 

 Ed. Doubleday, LaB. quadrimaculata, L. depressa, Z. pnenubila. The 

 characters given for the genus Sympetrian are : Caput metathorace latius 

 (so it is in every species of Odonata) ; propodeon podeonque in com- 

 missura incrassata (common to every species of Odonata. but stronger in 

 the males) ; segmenta sequentia lateribus compressa (among the species 

 of Sympetrum only in the females, mostly cylindrical in the males) ; pro- 

 telum ac adjaceniia plus minusve incrassata (common to nearly every 

 species of Odonata, because these parts contain the internal genitals) ; 

 telum minutum (common to all Odonata) ; teli appendices notae caeteris 

 distinctae vix proebent ; alarum stigma utrinque convexum (without value). 

 Mr. Newman, as far as I am able to ascertain, mentions only twice 

 more the name Sympetrum. In Ent(\ Mag., V, 484, where he con- 



