﻿new 
  Species 
  of 
  Viploptera. 
  103 
  

  

  P. 
  elegans, 
  described 
  from 
  Aru 
  and 
  Key 
  Islands, 
  is 
  un- 
  

   doubtedly 
  the 
  same 
  as 
  P. 
  simulatus 
  from 
  Batchian 
  and 
  Morty 
  

   Island. 
  Smith 
  notes 
  after 
  his 
  description 
  of 
  the 
  latter 
  that 
  

   it 
  may 
  be 
  an 
  extreme 
  variety. 
  

  

  Polistes 
  acteeon. 
  

  

  Polistes 
  actaon, 
  Hal. 
  Trans. 
  Linn. 
  Soc. 
  Lond. 
  xvii. 
  (3) 
  p. 
  323 
  (1836). 
  

   Polistes 
  limai, 
  Ihering, 
  Ann. 
  Soc. 
  Ent. 
  Fr. 
  vol. 
  lxxii. 
  p. 
  145 
  (1903). 
  

  

  A 
  comparison 
  between 
  this 
  species 
  and 
  the 
  type 
  of 
  P. 
  ac- 
  

   teeon 
  proves 
  them 
  to 
  be 
  identical. 
  Dalla 
  Torre 
  (' 
  Catalogus 
  

   Hymenopterum,' 
  vol. 
  ix. 
  Vespidse, 
  p. 
  122) 
  gives 
  a 
  reference 
  

   to 
  Latreille 
  (' 
  Encyclopedie 
  Methodique,' 
  vol. 
  x. 
  p. 
  171, 
  1825) 
  

   where 
  no 
  reference 
  is 
  made 
  to 
  P. 
  acteeon, 
  and 
  rightly 
  cites 
  

   Haliday 
  as 
  the 
  author, 
  though 
  Latreille 
  would 
  have 
  priority. 
  

   In 
  f 
  Genera 
  Insectorum/ 
  Fam. 
  Vespidse, 
  p. 
  68 
  (1904), 
  

   Latreille 
  is 
  cited 
  as 
  the 
  author 
  of 
  P. 
  acteeon, 
  evidently 
  an 
  

   attempt 
  to 
  correct 
  the 
  synonymy 
  in 
  the 
  ' 
  Catalogus.' 
  

  

  Polistes 
  humilis, 
  F. 
  

  

  Polistes 
  humilis, 
  F. 
  Spec. 
  Insect, 
  i. 
  p. 
  461. 
  no. 
  20 
  (1781). 
  

   Polistes 
  tasmaniensis, 
  Sauss. 
  £tud. 
  Fam. 
  Vespid. 
  p. 
  66 
  (1853). 
  

  

  Specimens 
  of 
  P. 
  tasmaniensis 
  in 
  the 
  National 
  Collection 
  

   are 
  certainly 
  identical 
  with 
  P. 
  humilis, 
  F., 
  the 
  type 
  of 
  which 
  

   is 
  in 
  the 
  Banksian 
  Collection 
  (Fabricius, 
  Spec. 
  Insect, 
  i. 
  

   p. 
  461. 
  no. 
  20, 
  1781), 
  and 
  not 
  in 
  Paris 
  as 
  stated 
  by 
  Saussure. 
  

   I 
  have 
  not 
  seen 
  the 
  type 
  of 
  P. 
  tasmaniensis, 
  which 
  is 
  in 
  

   Paris. 
  

  

  Key 
  to 
  the 
  Australian 
  Species 
  of 
  Polistes. 
  

  

  A. 
  Large 
  species, 
  18-24 
  mm. 
  

  

  a. 
  Colour 
  totally 
  ferruginous 
  : 
  length 
  18 
  mm. 
  schach,F, 
  

  

  b. 
  Colour 
  yellow 
  and 
  black 
  or 
  ferruginous 
  and 
  

  

  black. 
  

   a 
  2 
  . 
  Mesothorax 
  black, 
  with 
  two 
  parallel 
  

   yellow 
  marks 
  on 
  disc. 
  

   a 
  3 
  . 
  Scutellum, 
  postscutellum, 
  median 
  

   segment, 
  and 
  first 
  abdominal 
  seg- 
  

   ment 
  black 
  : 
  length 
  18 
  mm 
  tepidus, 
  F. 
  

  

  b 
  3 
  . 
  Scutellum, 
  postscutellum, 
  two 
  fines 
  

   on 
  median 
  segment, 
  and 
  first 
  abdo- 
  

   minal 
  segment 
  at 
  apex 
  yellow 
  : 
  

  

  length 
  21 
  mm 
  picteti, 
  Sauss. 
  

  

  b 
  2 
  . 
  Mesothorax 
  ferruginous 
  ; 
  median 
  seg- 
  

   ment 
  black 
  : 
  length 
  24 
  mm 
  erythrinus, 
  Holmgr. 
  

  

  