122 THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 
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was a Petalura. A day later a local collector brought me a 
female of the species, which he had captured in the bush. It 
was in bad condition, but measured about 63 inches across the 
wings. This year I received from my friend, Mr. H. Allen, of 
Cairns, a beautiful male, in fine condition, taken near Herber- 
ton. With this material to work upon, { was soon able to 
determine that this enormous dragon-fly, without doubt the 
largest known, is a new species of Petalura, very distinct in 
many respects from Leach’s P. g¢gantea.” Admirable figures 
accompany the paper. 
AUSTRALIAN Opvonata.—In addition to the description of the 
leviathan dragon-fly referred to above, Mr. Tillyard has, in the 
volume of the Linnean Society already quoted, two other 
papers dealing with the Odonata of this continent. One is en- 
titled, ‘‘ The Dragon-flies of South-western Australia,” and the 
other, “ Ona Collection of Dragon-flies from Central Australia, 
with Descriptions of New Species.’ It will be seen that the 
material worked by Mr. Tillyard is from areas that have, from 
an entomological point of view, been neglected. ‘The two 
papers contain not only references to species already known, 
but also descriptions of many novelties. Dragon-flies are such 
beautiful insects that it is surprising they should have been so 
long neglected by collectors; and not only are they beautiful, 
but their life-histories are peculiarly interesting, and afford a 
charming study. Now that so many young people are estab- 
lishing aquaria, dragon-flies might easily come in for a share 
of attention, for there is much yet to learn of the early stages 
of many species of this branch of our native fauna. 
Fosstz Burrerriy.— A. fossil butterfly from the Miocene 
shales of Florissant, Colorado, has recently been discovered. 
The insect, which was well preserved, shows the head, thorax, 
one antenna, and the anterior wings. It has been described 
by Professor T. D. A. Cockerell, of the University of Colorado, 
under the name of COhlorippe wilmattzx. 
Lower Races or Manxinp anp THE Apgs.—According to the 
' Museum News for October, a figure of a native Australian, 
carefully modelled by an eminent Washington sculptor, has 
been placed in the Brooklyn Museum alongside stuffed 
specimens of the man-like apes, in order to illustrate the wide 
differences between the latter and the lower races of mankind. 
Mosqurrors.—Mr. T. C. Lothian, of Melbourne, is issuing, in 
book form, an address delivered some time ago by Mr. W. J. 
Rainbow, F.L.S., entitled, ‘‘ Mosquitoes, Their Habits and Dis- 
tribution,” This brochure, which will be in reality a nature 
study-book, will be illustrated by two plates (maps), and 
fifteen text figures. A short chapter on “ Collecting, Presery- 
