Odonata from Mesopotamia. 301 
was taken the tooth was distinctly visible before the cover-glass 
was put on theslide, but the slight pressure altered the position, 
throwing the tooth nearly out of view or leaving visible only ~ 
a minute elevation which in reproduction may be quite lost. 
The character seems to be good, but it would not be surprising 
if in two such closely-allied species it sometimes failed as an- 
absolute test by itself. The hamules sometimes require to be 
freed from adhering matter before examination. 
(3) The apex of the penis in the preparations is different in 
the two species (see P]. XIV. figs. 1&4). In dried specimens 
this part is not always easy to examine. Preparations of 
C. erythrea from Arles, Madagascar, and Mesopotamia, and 
of C. servilia from Mesopotamia and Bengal serve to confirm. 
Sympetrum decoloratum, Selys. 
238,22 2, 8.v., 25. v., 9. vi. (Basra). 
All more or less immature, and, as the collector records 
nothing regarding habits, probably casual captures. The 
following short descriptions are based mainly on his notes :— 
3. Eyes: upper half brown-red, lower greenish. Vertex, 
frons, clypeus, and gene bluish white, a small black spot in 
front of median ocellus and also blackish about lateral ocelli 
aud antenne; labrum and labium white. Thorax pale 
greenish yellow, more pallid beneath with brown antehumeral 
streaks, brownish at extreme anterior margin and with small 
brown marking on either side of median suture next to the 
brownish edging ; lateral sutures very slightly black. Legs 
ellow ; femora and tibizs with a black line, tarsi annulated 
with black. Pterostigma dirty whitish. Abdomen: dorsum 
yellowish orange, darker orange on the carina and slightly 
darker on the posterior end of each segment, with faint 
indication of a dot on either side; traces of lateral lines 
slight (see 2); underside paler, with black median line. 
9. Eyes: upper half very pale brownish, lower bluish 
green. Head and thorax very similar to ¢. Abdomen: 
dorsum dark yellow, carina dark orange; sides greenish 
fading into the dorsal yellow. Lateral blackish streaks on 
each segment broadest and most complete on 3, gradually 
diminishing in extent on the following segments; lateral 
carina, especially of anterior segments, finely black; dorsal 
carina of 2-3 distinctly blackish, also a black line at the 
junction of 1-2 ; narrowly marked with black on each side 
of dorsal carina of 8-9. 
Sympetrum fonscolomber, Selys. 
1 2, Amara, 12. viii. 
