of some New Species of Hymenopterous Insects. 391 
mandibles yellow; the head subquadrate, slightly narrowed be- 
hind ;_ thorax ferruginous, finely and closely punctured, with a 
number of larger scattered punctures; the articulations of the 
legs and the tarsi rufo-testaceous ; abdomen elongate and shining, 
the second segment transversely striated, the apex ferruginous 
and longitudinally striated. 
Hab. Swan River. 
Fam. MASARIDZ. 
Genus Paraeta, Shuck. 
This genus was established in the year 1837, at which time 
only a single example was known; since that period nine addi- 
tional species have been described. I here add three new and beau- 
tiful species to the list, making the total number thirteen. In 
the generic characters given by Shuckard and drawn from the 
type Paragia decipiens, the trophi are not characterized, but 
Saussure has figured them in his Monograph of the Family Masa- 
ride, in which this genus is placed—the maxillary palpi being six- 
jointed, the labiai four-jointed. ‘That this is not a social genus of 
wasps, I think is proved by an examination of the tarsal claws, 
which are bifid, a character nowhere found hitherto amongst the 
social Vespide, but characteristic of all the solitary species. The 
type specimen described by Shuckard is now in the British 
Museum, and proves to be in a discoloured, bad condition; I 
therefore add, in the list of the species of the genus, a more cor- 
rect description, drawn from specimens obtained from Adelaide 
in the finest state of preservation. All the known species are 
from Australia and Tasmania. 
1. Paragia decipiens, Shuck. Trans. Ent. Soc. ii. 82, pl. vill. 
figs 35:2 
Sauss. Mon. Masar. p. 54. 
P, nigra, opaca; abdomine sulphureo. 
Female.—Length 9 lines. 
Black, opaque; head and thorax shagreened, with two confluent 
yellow spots between the antennz ; a narrow interrupted line on 
the anterior margip of the prothorax and a minute spot beneath 
the wings sulphur-yellow; wings dark fuscous, palest at their 
posterior margins ; abdomen sulphur-yellow, the base of the first 
segment black, from which a narrow black line emanates and runs 
down the upper surface of the segment to its posterior margin. 
Male.—This sex has the clypeus, an abbreviated line on the 
inner margin of the eyes, two minute spots between the antennee, 
VOL. II, THIRD SERIES, PART v.—SEPT. 1865, FF 
