BY R. .T. TILLYARD. 187 



T h o r a x. — Humeral stripes dark green. 



Abdomen thicker than in g, more cylindrical, deep bronze; 

 1-2 with blue on the sides: sutures of 1-7 banded with white; 

 8, bronze with very narrow transverse anal and basal blue 

 bands, sides blue; 9, blue with a large bronze basal spot; 1 0, 

 blue; 9 projects below beyond 10 and ends in a sharp point; 8 

 also carries a small spine underneath. (See Plate xvii., fig.66). 



Appendages wide apart, very minute, slightly pointed. 



H a b. — Atherton, N.Q. January, 1905. Rare. 



It flits close to the surface of the water amongst the reeds and 

 water plants that fringe the large lagoons and swamps. I found 

 it on the Carrington Swamp in company with Ischmira delicata, 

 Pstudagrion cyane, Agriocnemis splendida, and A. velaris, though 

 by no means so commonly as these species. Its small size and 

 swaying flight, about an inch or two above the surface of the water, 

 make it difficult to detect and capture M. Rene Martin, to whom 

 I forwarded specimens, says of this species : — " Brauer a nomme, 

 du Queensland, sans description, trois especes, Ischnura distigina, 

 I. cingillum, I. ceruyinosum. Peut etre celli-ci en est une, mais 

 elle n'a pas tous les caracteres de Ischmira. Je la considere 

 comme une espece nouvelle a nomraer par vous." In this con- 

 nection it may be remarked that the present species differs from 

 other members of the genus Ischnura in the following important 

 points:— (1) small head, narrow thorax, and slender wings not 

 very rounded at tips; (2) it lacks the postocular spots. The 

 typical characters of the genus as exhibited by /. delicata or 

 /. heterosticta are (1) rather broad head and thorax, rather robust 

 form, wings not remarkably slender, and well-rounded at tips; 

 (2) brilliant postocular spots. In other respects, notably in 

 having the 10th segment of the abdomen in the £ turned up 

 anally, and in carrying a small spine under the 8th segment in 

 the 9» it falls naturally into this genus, and into no other. I 

 have placed it in the genus provisionally, prior to making a more 

 complete study of the differences exhibited. 



