P. CAMERON. HYMENOPTERA. 187 



the 4* above and less narrowly below and the whole of the others. Antennae of a brighter 

 rufous colour. The apex of the anterior femora narrowly and the 4 anterior tibiae rufo-testaceous ; 

 ail the tarsi yellow. Wings ferruginous hyaline, the apex paler in tint, the stigma and ner- 

 vures rufous, of a deeper tint than the wings. The markings on the head and thorax are 

 deeper in tint than in malayanus ; they want the yellowish tint. 



3. Polistes melanopterus sp. n. 



Lorentz River, May and September. 



Black on the head and thorax except for a narrow line in the middle of the inner 

 orbits, a narrower one on the apex of the clypeus and a still narrower one along the base 

 and apex of the prothorax, or along the apex only, the abdomen ferruginous, the apices of 

 the segments pale yellow, a broad black mark, a little longer than wide, transverse at the 

 apex, and larger broader marks, running into rufous on the apices on the others; the legs 

 black, the apex of the femora narrowly, of the tibiae slightly more widely and the tarsi, 

 except the apical joint of the 4 posterior, pale testaceous; wings black, slightly tinged with 

 violaceous, the stigma and nervures black. Antennae rufo-testaceous, the scape paler, more 

 yellowish in tint, the top black. Q. 



Lorentz River, May. 



Covered with a white pile, longest on the metanotum, which is depressed in the middle 

 of the apical half; it is not striated, as in so many of the species and bears 2 pale yellow 

 spots in the middle. Apex of post-scutellum not quite transverse. Malar space nearly twice 

 the length of the pedicle of the antennae. The tegulae are black. Mandibles rufo-testaceous, 

 a somewhat triangular black mark at the base. 



Characteristic of this species are the black wings and the absence of 2 yellow lines on 

 the metanotum. 



Length 15 mm. 



4. Polistes marginalis F. 

 Bivak Island, February. 



The typical form maculipennis Saus., almost as represented by SAUSSURE on PL VI, 

 f. 4, Vespides, 1, appears to be the commonest race in New Guinea. 



One example approaches stigma F., but with the thorax reddish, except for some black 

 round the sides of the mesonotum ; the post-scutellum is lined with yellow at the base; there 

 are 2 broad lines, rounded on the outerside, on the metanotum, 2 spots on the mesopleurae, 

 one at the apex below, and the basai 5 abdominal segments are lined with yellow; the 

 3 rd to 5* are blackish; the front except the eye incision and the vertex are black. What 

 seems to be the q" of this form has the face and clypeus pallid yellow as well as the lower 

 part of the Iront; the mesonotum is entirely black, the 2 n <l abdominal segment is broadly 

 black in the middle, the mark narrowed towards the base; the other segments are broadly 

 black at the base. In both sexes the wings (especially the costal and radial cellules) are 

 blackish and in the 9 are tinged with violaceous. This species is excessively variable; and 

 although there are several fairly defined races, yet they ail run into each other. 



