1894.] 271 



robust. The middle seta (in the example before me) long and well developed, but 

 considerably shorter than the two outer, and its apex apparently flattened and 

 dilated {? inflated during life). Wings as in the ^ subimago, but the ground has a 

 slight greenish tinge ; the dark costal margin of anterior more smoky, with scarcely 

 any reddish tinge. 



Length of body, 20 mm. Expanse, about 43 mm. (the tips of wings broken). 



"Wellington (Hudson). I have 1 ^ imago, 1 ^ subimago, and 1 

 $ subimago. This is the 'Ef'hemera from New Zealand mentioned, 

 but not described, by Eaton in his Eevis. Monogr., p. 59 ; he had then 

 seen only the mutilated imago ; such a geographical distribution is ano- 

 malous for the genus. A very remarkable species in coloration, and 

 still more remarkable for the condition of the median caudal seta as 

 exhibited in the $ and $ subimago in my collection ; such a condition, 

 if constant, being probably sufficient for generic separation, showing 

 relationship with Heptagenia on the one hand, and Pentagenia on the 

 other: the precise condition remains to be confirmed and elucidated 

 from an examination of many specimens of both sexes and in both 

 winged stages. 



ODONATA. 

 Sub-fam. Libellulina. 



Sympetbum bipunctatum, Brauer, var. n. nov^-zealandi^. 



? . Appai'ently differing from the type form chiefly in the extension of the 

 yellow at the base of the wings, and its deep tint. In the anterior wings this colour 

 extends to the 2nd ante-cubital nervule, to the arculus, and to near the end of the 

 median (or lower basal) cell, and in the posterior it forms a triangular basal space 

 reaching the triangle, and continued in an oblique manner to the anal margin some 

 distance below the end of the membranule. 



I have three females before me from Paikakariki, on the coast 

 about 20 miles north of "Wellington {Hudson). I am not aware that 

 the (J has been discovered. Another $ , from near Auckland {Col. 

 jBolton) has been in the British Museum Collection for 40 years ; it 

 differs slightly from those from near Wellington, the yellow at the 

 base of the wings being less extended, and hence more typical, and the 

 dark dorsal line of the abdomen appears to be wanting (it is present 

 in the others, and is indicated in Brauer's description). 



An examination of the $ is desirable, but at present I see no 

 reason to consider the examples as forming more than a local race of 

 8. hipunctatum, a species apparently widely distributed in Australia 

 and the Polynesian Islands, and which is probably liable to local 

 variation. I have, at present, no ? before me that I can refer to hi- 

 punctatum (type), but those from New Zealand agree (with the ex- 

 ception stated) with Brauer's description, even to the structure of the 

 vulvar scale (a crucial point). 



