170 PROCEEDINGS 01*^ THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF QUEENSLAND. 



Abdomen. — The abdominal segments 1 to 3 have branched 

 lateral setae rather mucli like those of the thorax ; segments 

 4 to 6 with long bifid setse. All the abdominal setaj arise from 

 distinct chitinous tubercles, and in addition to the ordinary 

 lateral setse there are much smaller branched ones arising near 

 their bases. The typical palmate hair takes the form of rather 

 large and mottled sharply tapering " leaves," the edges of which 

 can be observed to be minutely serrated only by close focussing 

 of the fine adjustment v/hen the iris diaphragm is reduced to a 

 minute aperture ; from 15 to 19 such " leaves" go to make 

 up one of the large palmate " hairs." There are large palmate 

 " hairs " on segments 3 to 7, minute ones (less notched) on 

 segment 2, and still more minute ones on the thorax (2 pairs). 

 The thoracic and abdominal palmate hairs show a gradual 

 transition both in size and complexity, which is a good object 

 lesson in the development of the typical " palm " from a 

 simple " hair- tuft." 



The spines of the comb on the eighth abdominal segment 

 take the form of simple undifferentiated (except for size) 

 spikes, large roughly alternating with smaller ones. The 

 number is about 14 on either side. 



The anal segment is of a mahogany colour, and its surface 

 is invested with numerous minute sharp, simj)le spines, of about 

 the same shape and size as those existing on the shafts of the 

 antennae. Ventral beard arranged in about 10 paired groups 

 of typically branched hairs. Dorsal beard well represented. 

 Swimming fans equal, moderately elongated and obtusely 

 pointed. 



Pupa. 



Macroscopic Ajpjyearance and Behaviour. — The pupa of 

 M. bancrojti presents nothing extraordinary except for its 

 apparent uniform dark colour and large size. Its movements 

 are rather sluggish. 



Lens Characters. — A most striking feature of the puj)a is 

 the linear extensions of mottled or variegated colour- markings 

 of the cephalothorax. What were, on the field, taken to be 

 variegated scale -markings of a well-developed contained imago 

 apparently showing through the diaphanous puparium, were, 

 afterwards, by examining the exuvial puparium, undoubtedly 

 due to chitinous incrassations of the pupal skin. When we 

 reflect that it is more difficult to identify Culicid pupae than 



