BY R. J. TILLYARD. 741 



black T on the front, and a narrow median dorsal band on the 

 thorax. The ring of yellow on segment 2 is almost complete, 

 being first divided by a fine black dorsal line, so that the 

 expression " en demi-anneau " could only doubtfully be applied to 

 it. But it is remarkable that M. Martin says nothing of the 

 colouration of the seventh and eighth segments, which, instead of 

 possessing the usual metallic greenish-black clepsydrate markings 

 on an orange ground, (as in H. tau and austr alive) is as follows : — 

 7, basal half entirely lemon-yellow, anal half black, the division 

 between the two colours practically straight; 8, basal two-fifths 

 lemon-yellow, a fine black dorsal line; rest black. 



My specimens bear not the slightest resemblance to either 

 H. tau or //. austral-ice, being very much smaller than either, and 

 considerably smaller even than H. continentalis Martin. The 

 measurements are : total length 41 mm.; abdomen 31 mm.; fore- 

 wing 28 mm.; hind wing 27 mm. The body is very slender, the 

 broadest portion, seg. 7, being only 16 mm. wide, and not 

 appreciably enlarged; whereas in the males of the two common 

 species the abdomen is distinctly enlarged and much wider than 

 this. Hence it appears impossible to me to think that under any 

 circumstances the specimens I possess could have been a hybrid 

 production of H. tau and II. australioe; in fact, they appear to 

 me to be an absolutely distinct species, as far removed from H. tau 

 or H. australice as, if not farther than, these two species are from 

 one another. I have, however, decided to leave them under the 

 name of //. intermedia, until I have an opportunity of comparing 

 them with the type. 



Owing to the continuous rain, I saw very few examples of 

 Hem icordulia on the wing at Cooktown, not even H. tau, though 

 it is certain to be abundant there in fine weather; and of H. aus- 

 tralice I took only two females. This species swarms around 

 Cairns and Atherton in fine weather, so doubtless it is also com- 

 mon at Cooktown; and in that case H. intermedia may also prove 

 to be fairly abundant if one could be fortunate enough to find 

 one day's sunshine there in January. Both my specimens were 

 taken hovering high up among the eucalypts in the open forest, 



