A List OF THE LIBELLULIDZ (DRAGON FLIES 
OF AUSTRALASIA. . 
By J. G. O. Teppsr, F.LS., F.S.Se., &e. 
WitH ANNOTATIONS ON SOUTH AUSTRALIAN 
SPECIES. 
By Mons. Rene Marti. 
[Read May 2,. 1899.] 
The Libellulide form a part of the Odonata or Pseudo- 
Neuroptera. They are classed now with the Orthoptera, but 
were formerly included among the Neuroptera, which they 
resemble in appearance of the mature forms, but their meta- 
morphosis is quite different. The Thripside, Psocide, Embide, 
Termitide, Perlide, and Ephemeride embrace the remaining 
families. 
Very little appears to have been published hitherto in Aus- 
tralia on the species of Odonata occurring endemically in this 
region, excepting several papers by Mr. W. W. Froggatt in 
Proc. Linn. Soc., N.S.W. (vol. X., 1895-6), on the “ Termites ” 
or ‘ White Ants.” The chief reasons for this paucity are that 
not only are the specimens rather difficult to capture, collect, and 
preserve, but that the literature relating to the suborder is so 
widely scattered in mostly foreign publications as to be almost 
inaccessible for any local student. The means are therefore 
lacking to learn which forms are known to occur in the district 
or province, or. to classify them when collected. To meet this 
want to some extent this list of the most important and con- 
spicuous family has been drawn up, as a preliminary step towards 
a better knowledge. 
Naturally the work is somewhat imperfect, it being quite 
impossible for one not in possession either of all the necessary 
literature or extensive collections to discriminate whether a 
species appearing in various genera, under different authors, or 
from dissimilar localities (or vice versa), be one and the same or 
not, or whether different species have been included under 
similar names. This can ultimately only be determined by 
European workers to whom both literature and collections are 
accessible. 
The present list is chiefly based on the essays of Fr. Brauer, 
published in the “ Verhandlungen der Botan. und Zool. Gesell- 
