Mr. R. Shelford's Studies of the Blattidae. 279 



25, P. novae-seelandiae, Br. (PI. VII, fig. 12.) 



Polyzosteria novae-seelandiae, Brunner von Wattenwyl, 



Nouv. Syst. Blatt., p. 218 (1865). 

 Periplaneta fortipes, Walker, Cat. Blatt. Brit Mus., 

 •p. 137 (1868). 



This can readily be recognised by the obliquely truncate 

 and strongly punctate tegmina. 



New Zealand (Vienna Mus., type of novae-seelandiae ; 

 British Mus., type oi fortipes \ Oxford Mus.). 



Two or three species are included in the British Museum 

 collection under the heading fortipes and the type is not 

 indicated ; I follow Kirby in regarding the species as 

 synonymous with novae-seelandiae because Walker's 

 New Zealand specimens are undoubtedly identical with 

 Brunner's types. It is not often that the dreary pages of 

 Walker's Catalogues contain any notes of bionomical 

 interest but in his list of specimens of fortipes one is 

 recorded as having been found under the bark of trees 

 devouring bugs. The observation is of interest because 

 it lends some support to the truth of the statement which 

 has been made, though with some scepticism, that the 

 detestable pest, Periplaneta amcricana., devours the 

 loathsome bed bug. 



26. P. castanea, Br. (PI. VIII, figs. 18rr, 18&.) 



Polyzosteria castanea, Brunner von Wattenwyl, Nouv. 



Syst. Blatt., p. 214 (1865). 

 Platyzosteria avocaensis, Tepper, Tr. R. Soc. S. 



Australia, xvii, p. 88 (1893). 

 Platyzosteria exaspcra, Tepper, op. cit. -xviii, p. 182 



(1894). 



I have seen examples of avocaensis and exaspcra deter- 

 mined by Mr. Tepper himself; the former is the female 

 of the latter and both are synonymous with castanea, the 

 type of which I have also seen. 



P. castanea shows distinct affinities with Gosmozosteria, 

 the angles of the abdominal tergites except the 7th being 

 scarcely produced. The cerci are very short in this species. 



New South Wales, Tarangower, Sydney (Vienna 

 Mus., types of castanea ; Stockholm Mus. {Godeffroy) ; Ox- 

 ford Mus. ( W. W. Froggatt)), Avoca (Adelaide Mus., type 

 of avocaensis) ; Victoria (Adelaide Mus., type of exaspcra). 



