'HE
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
LiNNEnri Society
OF
New South Wales
I'OR I'HK VKAR
1916
Vol. XLI.
jL
"ft.^****- ■^^\
WITH FIFTY-NINE PLATES.
SYDNEY: PRINTKD ANIJ PUBLISHED FOR THK SOCIETY
BY
\V. A. PEPPERDAV 1- CO., 119a Pin" STREET
SOLD i;V THE SOCIETY
I9i(;-i7.
/^ <? 7P ^r
\V. A. I'Kl'l'KUDAV AND CO.,
CKNKKAl. rUlNTERS, 119:1 I'ITT STREET, SVnNKY.
CONTENTS OF PROCEEDINGS, 1916.
PART I. (No. 161 j.
(!,..■., I, il I ',ih J, nil, T.nc).
PAti KS
Presidential Adihcs.s (U'live-icd at the Fuily-Hist Annual Meeting',
Mardi -imh, IHHi, hy Alkx. <i. HAMii/roN 1-3.T
Studies in Australian Nturoptera. No. ii. !)cs( ii|)ti(jns ot niw f4eni'ra and Species of the Families 0-'fmt//ii/". M i/rni<lio)i- fklfp, and Axca/a/ihiila: My R. J. Tillyakd, M.A., IJ.Sc, F.L.S., F.E.S., Linnean Macleay Fellow of the .Society in Zoologj^ (Plates i.-vi.. and three Text-H^mnes) 41-7(1
A Revision of the S/rafioini/id" [Ihi-TEHA] of Australia. By
Arthur White .., ... J Hie
Oocyxtix and Ertmo.^jthirraiAu^A^]. Ry <i. 1. Pj^-VVIWIK. Science Researcli* Scholar of the University of Sydney. (Plates vii.- ix., and twenty-eight Text-figures) Id/ -147
The Chemical Investigation of some Poisonous Plants in the X.O. SolatMceiv. Part ii. Xiroliinin sunnolriis, and the Idciititica- tion of its Alkaloid. By Jamks M. Petkik. D.Sc. F.l.C. Linnean Macleay Fellow of the Society in Hiochemistry ... 14,S-l."il
The Instability of Leaf- Morphology in its lelation to Taxonomic
Botany. Ry A. A. Hamilton l.VJ-17'.t
On Bnichychilon popiil III o-iiii ri/iiliii-^ F.v.M. : the Crimson-llnwer-
ed Kurrajong. Ry J. H. Mai dkn , F. R. S. . F. L. S I S< •- i S4
On a Eucalypt Hybrid (E. ralophylln -< PJ. ji<-ij'oli<i). By •). H.
Maiden, F.R.S., F.L.S is.vis'.t
Hon. Treasurer's Financial Statement. Balance Sheet, etc. ... .'U-M!!
Elections and Announcements ... ... ... ... ... 1'", 1!M(
Notes and Exhibits Kll |(»fi. HKt-liVi
27799
V. CONTENTS.
PART II. (No. 162). (Issued loth Septemliir, lOItiJ. fa(;ks
('(//•«/;/>/((' [CoJiEoi'TKKA] from the Upper ^Villiam.s River, N.S.W.
By Thumas G. Sloane 1 96-208
Descriptions of a new Genus, and three new (Species of Australian Teiiehrlonidii' [Coleopteka] fi'om Harrington Tops, N.S.W. %H. J. Carter, B.A., F.E.S. (With three Text-figs.) ... 209-214
A Mew Scale-Insect [CocciD^] affecting Sugar-Cane in New (luinea. By the late Dr. A. Rutherford : with a Note by K. Jarvis 215-216
Studies in Australian Nenropfera. No. iii. The Wing-Venation of the Chryxopldii. By R. J. Tili.yard, M.A.. B..Sc.. F.L.S., F.E.S., Linnean Macleay Fellow of the Society in Zoology. (Plates X., X.///.X, xi.; and eight Text-figs.) 221-248
A Tliird Contribution to a Knowledge of the Lepidopterous Fauna of El)or Scrub, N.S.W. By A. Jkfferis Turner, M.D., F.E.S 249-260
i'drologicul Notes. No. ii. The Relations between some \V^estern Austialian (ilneissicand (hanitic Rocks. I5y M. Aurousseau, B.Sc. 261-266
Studies in Australian Neuroptera. No. iv. The Families Itholudif, Heme roll! idn', Si.'<i/rld(e, liefothldn , and the new Family Tri- choniatidie : with a Discussion of their Characters and Re- lationships, and Descriptions of new and little-known Genera and Species. I>y H. J. Tillvard, ]\I.A., IJ.Sc, F.L.S., F.E.S., Linnean Macleay Fellow of tlie Society in Z(X)I(>g\-. (Plates xii.-xix.. and ten Text-figs.) 269-332
Studies in Australian Mkrolepkloptera. IJy A. -Iekfekis Turner,
M.D., F.E.S 333-376
Some Cryptogamic Notes, frdin the IJotauic (hardens, Sydney.
By the Rev. W. Walter Watts. (Plate xx.") 377-386
Further Observations on the P]mergence of Dragonfly-Larvae from the Egg, with special Reference to the Problem of Respira- tion. By R. J. Tilly ARi). M.A., B.Sc., F.L.S., F.E.S., Linnean Macleay Fellow of the Society in Zoology. (Five Text-figs.) 388-416
Elections and Announcements ... ... 217,267,387
Notes and Exhibits 193-195,217-220,267-268
* Plate XX. was issued Mith Part iii.
CONTENTS. V.
PART II. (Contiimed). pages
Cunectioii in Dr. Turner's Paper (p.'2.")4). (Jiiiil iiiiiiie and description of Capua crypstrytlira, n.sp., and substitute
Capua leucostacta.
CdpiKi Ic.ncoMacta ^Nleyr., I'roe. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, 1910, p."20"2. One 9 example. Alsu fioiii N.S.\V'. : Lawson. — Vic. : Beaconsfield. Page 241:), line 8 — -for six, read seven. — line !l, for 12, read 11. — line 22, I'or 7. riidl <).
PART III. (No. 163).
( Issued 0th December, HUd). pa(;es
Notes from the Botanic Gardens, Sydney: Parthenogenesis in
Aquatic Phanerogams. By A. H. S. Lucas, M.A., B.iSc. ... 417-421
Pve\ision of the Ainycterides. Part v. Mo/och/iis and Cnhirorrliyii-
rlms. By EU.STACE W. Fkikjcson, M.B., Ch.M 422-4.52
A Revision of the Genera with Mieroscleres included, in- ])ro- visioiuilly included, in the Family AxineUidd': with Descrip- tions of some Australian Species [Porifeka]. Part i. By K. F. Kallmann, B.Sc. , Linnean Maoleay Fellow of tlie Society in Zoology. (Plates xxi.-xxx., figs. 1-2; also xxxix., tigs.(;-7; and Text-figs. 1-9) 4.53-491
A Revision of tlie (ienera with Microscleres included, uv ]no- visionally included, in tlic Family A.r'nii'llid<r: with Descrip- tions of some Australian Species [Pokifeka]. Part ii. My K. F. Kallmann, B.Sc, Linnean Macleay Felhjw of the Society in Zoology. (Plates xxix., fig.4; xxx.-xxxii.; xxxiii., tigs. 1 -.'): xxxiv.-xxxvii. ; xxxviii., figs. 1-4; and Text-figs. Id- Ki) 49.")-.j.")2
'i'iic Gamcto|)liyte of I'silol iini : Preliminary Notes. l!y Tiio>l\.s W'niTioj.EooL, Medallist of the Royal Society of New South Wales, 1899. (Plate xlv.) .■).5.3-.iH8
Contril)uti(jns to a Knowledge of Australian ('ii/ieidd' 1])ii'TKHa].
No. iii. By Frank K. Tavlok, F.E.S. .")tj4-.j74
Descriptions of some new Species of Australian, Tasmauian, and
New Zealand Mo.sses. vi. By Dk. V. K. Bkotherus ... r)7o-,")9()
New Australian Species of C(trahkl<r belonging to the Tril)e
.SV'«r////(/ [Coleopteka]. By Thomas G. Sloan e 5y7-t)30
Elections and Am louncements ... ... ... ... ...494,631
Notes and Exhibits 492-493,494,632
VI. CONTENTS.
PART IV. (No. 164).
( Issiiid .'ill, Ajiril, lur, ).
I'AliKS
A Revision of the Oeiieia with Microweleics iuchided, or pfo- vi.sionally included in the Family Axinellida- with De.scrip- tions of some Australian Species [I'okikkka]. I'art iii. l>y E. F. Haij.mann, B.Sc, Limiean Macleay Fellow of llic Society in Zooloj;}-. (Plates xxix., ti<j;s.o, ,1, (i; xxxiii., Hji.(i: xx.xviii., figs.o-9; xxxix., figs.l 5; xl., tiyM.1-4; xli-xliv.; and Text-%s. 17-20) (i34-(i7o
An Etiloiescence (jn some New Zealand Kelps. liy A. H. S.
Lucas, M.A., B.Sc. (i7<)-(j7!J
Studies on Australian Mollusca. Part xiii. IJy C. HEni.KV,
F.L.S. (Plates xlvi. -Hi.) (i,S(»-71U
Descriptions of new Species of Australian ( 'ok'<jptera. I'ait xii.
By A. M. Lea, F.K.S 7'20-74.j
Australian Talianidtt [Diptera]. No. ii. 15y Fr.\.nk H. Tavi.ok,
F.E.S 74(5-7W
Some Notes tni the Bionomics of llie BuH'alo-Fly [Li/peroKia exi</ii(i de Meijere]. V>y (jekaj.u F. Hill, F.E.S., (iovernmcnt Entomologist, Northern Territory of Austi'alia. (Plate liii.) 7(>S-7(JS
Description ai Aphanlophrynt, a new Batrachian (jJenus from New (iuinca: with Comparative Notes on the Pectoral Muscula- ture. By Dene B. Fry. (Plates liv.-lv.) 77tl-7N.'i
The Change (jf Composition of Alveolar Air after the St(jp|)agc of Normal Breathing. By H. S. Haecko Warheaw, D.Sc, Linnean Macleay Fellow of the Society in Physiology. [With two Text-ligures] 7.S(i-S14
The Chemical Investigation of some I'ois(Hious Plants in the N.O. So/anaceo'. Part iii. The Occurrence of Nor-Hyosoyaminc in Solaudra lonyi flora. By James M. Petrie, D.Sc, F.I.C, Linnean Macleay Fellow of the J^ociety in Biochemistry ... 81.')-822
Australian Freshwater PhytoplanUton [Prolocofcoidcji}. By (i. I. Pj.aykaik, Science Research Scholar of the University of Sydney. (Plates Ivi.-lix.) ,S23-8r)2
Records of Australian Fungi. No. i. 1>3' J. Burton C'lelano, M.D., and Edwin Cheel, Botanical Assistant, Botanic Gardens, Sydney 8,53-870
CONTENTS.
VU.
PART IV. (Continned).
Fuitlier Researches upon the Problems of tlie Radial and Zygop- terid Sectors in the Wings of Odonata, and upon the Forma- tion of Bridges. By R. J. Tillyard, M.A., B.Sc, F.L.S., F.E.S., Linnean Macleay Fellow of the Society in Zoology (With six Text-figures)
Announcements
Donations and P^xchanges, 1915-16
Notes and Exhibits ... ... ...
Title-page
Contents
Corrigenda
List of new (Teneric Names...
List of Plates
Index ...
P.\(iES
|
. 871-887 |
|
im |
|
. 888-905 |
|
. 633, 769 |
|
1. |
|
iii. |
|
vii. |
|
viii. |
|
viii. |
|
. .^.-xxxii. |
CORRIGENDA.
Page 17. line '23 — for Tcrinna rapeii^e, read Tcconxt capcnK/.'i.
Page '249, line 8 — -J'or six, rfcul seven. — line '.). for 12, rratl 11. — line 22,
for 7, reacl 6. Page "254, lines 26-36 — omit name and description of Caprn rri/pAf-rythrn,
n.sp., and substitute
Caita leucostacta.
Capua /e.Hco/itactaMeyi: , Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, 191(1, p. 202.
One y example. Also from N.S.W : Law.son. — Vic. : Beaconstield. Page 267, line 2 — for Miss M. Hinder, nitd Miss K. M. Hinder. Page 275, line 14— ;/b/- Stenop.ikli.a, n.sji., read Stenobtei.la, ii.g. Page 498, line 22 — for Trago-va, i-ead Aii/eftn. Page 546, line 2 — for palmate, read veins of a palmate. Page 551, lines 7 and 10 — for Fig. 3, rearl Fig. 4, and rice rerMi. Page 598, line 22 — for Ameiican species, read American genus. Page 633, line 9 — for (A'. Lamarkiaua, read (E. lAtinarrkianu. Page 637, line 25 — for /fa/irnemia (s.str. ), read Paratiinea (g. n.). Page 658, line 25 — for //. inaaaaliA, I'ead //. coralloidesi.
Vlll.
CONTENTS
LIST OF NEW GENERIC NAMES PROPOSED THIS V0LUI\1E(1916).
Allantclla [Poriferal ... Ajjliautophrynf [ l^atrachia] Atrihafiia [Lepiflnptera] Axidrafima [Porifera] ... Bej'nardia [Alga^] Brachyleon [Neuvopteia | I'opriodes [Lepicloptera] Cryptoherii* [Diptera) ... Deiimo.i-j/n [Porifeiva] ... Dragmacidon [Porifera] Dragmatella [Porifei'a] J)ra(/ma.ria [I'orifera] ... Drepnnarra \ Neuroptera] Drepunoin'nia [Neiii'optera] EchiiHi.fin [Poi'ifera] ... Elaphroinijiii [Diptera] EUttAOina [ 1 )i ptera j Eiipori-wiii>^ [Neuroptera] (Icranopiis [Diptera] ... Hoplomorplia [Lepidoptera] Ldonttnld [Porifei'al
r.\(iE . 67.-)
Lrpidozanrhi [Lepidopteia] Lijel liana [ Lepicloptera] Oj)h)odeAmn [Diptera] ... ().rt/lii(//a I Ntnii'opteia] Pa/iinniere-<< [Lepidoptera] Parafit/ifa [Porifera] ... /'rnfo/ypa [Lepidoptera] R/iahdof*i{/mt( [ Porifera] Iih(tjilin.i)ji( I I'orifera] ... Rliymeara [( 'oleoptera] S/oaiiea, [Coleo])tera] ... SpcriDOpltorclla \ Nonropteia] Sti iiohlclla [Neuroptera | St( iiohoii [Neuroptera |... Stroiiiiyhtnniia [I'orifera | To.ctiiuia [Porifera] Trirhoina [Neurftptera] Xaiif /inherits [Diptera] ... Xiintlioleon [Neuroptera]
•^73 ; .V^/o;/?//«r-('f.v [Lepido]itera I
67.')
34S 1)87
S47
.IS
T^ 040 f)39 (i4() .143 •29;? .•{02 .H.S 749
m
84
IN
r.V( i K 2.j2
ss ;?<».-) 338 07.-) 2.1I .->2(» fUl ()97 2t>9 :!I7 .V2ti
(io (i4.S (!7.S 32.1
7.1
t;i 2.1t)
LIST OF PLATES.
PR0CEEDIN(4.S, 191(5. Plates i.-vi. — Australian Neuroptera. Plates vii.-ix. — Oocy-iti.'i and Ere)nospli'er/i. I'lates X., X. hi.% xi. — The ^Ving-venatio^ of the Chrysojildn-. Plates xii.-xix. — Australian Neuroptera. Plate XX. — Athyrium humile, sp.n. ; EUmlen..<i lunnilis. sjj.u. Plates xxi.-xliv. — Australian Axinellid Spoiii,'es. Plate xlv. — The (ianietophyte [6 9) of I'silofiini tritjiietrinii. Plates xlvi.-lii. — Australian Mollusca. Plate liii.— Head of ealf, showing eai'ly stage of lesion caused liy the
■Buflfalo-fly. Plate liv — Aphantophryne jiaiisa, g. et sp.n. Plate Iv. — Pectoral Musculature of Kalonia, Aphantophryne. and Limno-
dynaMes. Plates Ivi.-lix.— Australian Freshwater I'hytoplankton (Protaroccnidne).
PROCEEDIT^GS
OF THE
LINNEAN SOCIPZTY^,-^
OF
NEW SOUTH ^V\^ALES.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29th. 1916.
The Forty-first Anniial General Meeting, and the Or(Uiiar|^^l Monthly Meeting, were held in the Linnean Hall, Ithaca Road, Elizabeth Bay, on Wednesday evening, March 29th, 1916.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.
Mr. A. G. Hamilton, President, in the Chair. The Minutes of the preceding Annual General Meeting (March 31st, 1915) were read and confirmed.
The President delivered the Annual Address.
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. Bacon's familiar essay on "Adversity" concludes with this in- contestable aphorism : "For pi'osperity doth best discover vice; but adversity doth best discover virtue." Twenty months ago, a lengthy period of unprecedented, mateinal world-prosperity, largely due to Man's increased control of Nature, suddenly ended in discovering the calamitous condition of things which still con- fronts the world — Civilisation attacked from within, divided against itself, the solidarity of mankind rent in twain, Inter- nationalism bankrupt. The case has been clearly and simply stated in a recent article by Emeritus Professor G. T. Ladd, of Yale University, in these words — "To-day, the German mind is at wide variance, is at desperate odds, with the human mind. It appears as either superhuman or below the human. It is not in accord with the standards supplied by the great majority of
^ PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
civilised and conspicuously thought-directed mankind."* Hei'e is outlined the situation to be saved. If Civilisation is to continue and progress, it is unthinkable that it cannot be saved. What, except adversity, can be expected to discover the virtue required to save it? The ruinous expenditure in lives and treasure is impoverishing all the belligerent nations in varying degrees. The tide of adversity is steadily rising for all concerned in the war, though the full effect may not be fully realised until the heat of warfare has subsided. The possible failure of ambitious schemes, on one side, may enhance the general effect.
It might be expected, perhaps, that the recruiting-officer would be likel}' to look askance at most of the members of a Scientific Society. Nevertheless, ten of our limited number have responded to the call to arms. Some of them ai'e "Anzacs"; others are on the way to destinations unknown to us; two have returned, one of them temporarily, while several are in training. It is befitting that we should have them in mind at this, our annual gathering. They are entitled to our warmest regard and good wishes, and to anything that we can do to show our appreciation of their readi- ness to serve the nation, and to strive for the triumph of the great issues at stake. Therefore, as a tribute of respect to them, I will ask Members to rise in their places while I read the list of names; and when I have concluded, to join with me in saying "All honour to our Soldier-Members!"
AuROUSSEAU, Marcel, B.Sc, University of West Australia.
Bretnall, Reginald Wheeler, Australian Museum.
Carne, Walter Mervyn, Botanical Gardens, Sydney.
David, Professor T. W. Edgeworth, C.M.G., D.Sc, F.R.S., University of Sydney.
Ferguson, Eustace W., M.B., Ch.M., Department of Public Health.
Fry, Dene B., University student.
Goldfinch, Gilbert M., served at Gallipoli.
Henry, Max, M.R.C.V.S., on service abroad.
* "The Human Mind versiis the German Mind." Hibbert Journal, Januarj', 1916.
PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. 3
Laseron, Carl F., Technological Museum, Sydne}': wounded at Gallipoli.
Stokes, Edward S., M.B., Ch.M., returned after service abi'oad: now P.M.O.
Sir Douglas Mawson is on the eve of leaving for England to enter upon military service. Dr. R. Broom, a Corresponding Member, has joined the Army Medical Service; but whether in South Africa or in Europe is not known to us.
If, as individuals, we are in need of further provocation to seriousness, we may surely find it in the departure of Professor David for the front with the Mining Battalion. We may well be impressed by his earnestness and self-sacrificing action in a great crisis; and be led to appreciate the example which he has set. »
It was something more than a mere formality that, at a Special General Meeting held on 30th June, 1915, on the motion of the Hon. Treasurer, it was heartily and unanimously resolved "That the Annual Subscriptions of all Ordinary Members of the Society serving with the Australian Expeditionary Forces be remitted during their term of service."
Considering the unfavourable and depressing conditions en- tailed by the continuance of the war, the Society's progress during the past year may be regarded as satisfactory.
The full effect of the war on our exchange-relations with European Scientific Societies and Institutions is now realisable. For the Session 1914-15, the total number of donations and exchanges received amounts to 1028 additions to the library, as compared with 1166 for 1913-14 (five months of which were war- months), and 1285 for 1912-13, before the war. The significance of the shortage is, that our communications with ovei' forty Societies, from which, under normal conditions, we hear at least once during the year, have been completely suspended. In some cases, we have received official notification that, in consequence of the disturbance of mails or other means of transmission, it has been deemed advisable to keep back despatches for the present.
The fortieth volume of the Proceedings for 1915 (896 pp., and
4 PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
59 plates) has been completed in good time, and distributed, as far as circumstances permit. It contains thirty-six papers, on a wide range of subjects, read at the Meetings during the Session. The recent decision of the Postal authorities that the annual volumes of the .Society's Proceedings are not to be regarded as "books" within the meaning of the Postal regulations, and can- not be sent at book-rates per book -post, but are to be treated as ''Printed Matter," and charged on a higher , scale, on the tech- nical ground that one Part of each volume^ contains a balance- sheet and report, means a substantial increase in postage on our publications for Societies, Institutions, and individuals within the Commonwealth, which cannot be delivered by messenger. The decision applies also to the publications of Australian Scien- tific Societies and Institutions generally, to University Calendars, and to the Annual Reports of Government Depai'tments. Two examples will show that the cost is almost or quite quadrupled. The postage on single copies of the four Parts of last year's Pro- ceedings, as "Printed Matter," was Is. 3d. [one Partat4id., three Parts at 3|d. each]. Per Book-post, the amount would have been 4^d. [one Part at l|d., three Parts at Id. each]. We have recently received the last Calendar of the University of Mel- bourne, as Printed Matter charged 8d., whereas at book-rates the postage would have been 2d. The Annual Reports of mer- cantile Companies or Institutions are not volumes of 800-900 pages, with from 40-90 Plates illustrating objects of scientific interest only; so that the increase in cost falls most heavily on Scientific and Educational organisations. Considering that the balance-sheets and reports of Scientific Societies, like those of Educational, Charitable, and Government Institutions, are not recoi-ds of profits made, and dividends payable: and often, as in our case, are largely concerned with the administration of trust- funds, this increase in the cost of sending scientific publications by mail — much higher than is charged on exactly similar publi- cations containing balance-sheets, etc., which come to us per book-post at book-rates from other distant countries — seems rather like a tax on the diffusion of knowledge of scientific and
PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. O
educational value, and, as sucli, is objectionable. Two deputa- tions of representatives of Scientific Societies and Institutions at different times since the new decision came into force, have waited on the Minister of the Department, but without result. In response to a request, Mr. J. E. West, Member for West Sydney in the House of Representatives, most kindly and cour- teously took some trouble to understand the Council's views on the subject, and was good enough to lay them before the Postal authorities. As matters stand at present, a new Postal Bill is in contemplation, which will provide for increases in certain rates, including book-postage; but as it is to be a measure for providing for a decreased revenue in war-time, we shall have to make the best of it. Nevertheless, we want to see the defini- tion of "books" revised. Under existing circumstances, it does not seem to be a trivial protest to make, that while works of fiction, for example, can be sent by book-post, the publications of Australian Scientific Societies cannot, on what are really merely technical grounds.
Five Ordinary Members were elected during the year, two resignations were received, and we have lost, by death, one Oi'din- ary Member, and two of our senior Corresponding Members.
Mr. William Allan, of Wingham, was born at Cheltenham, England, in 1820; and had resided on the Manning River unin- terruptedly since 1S51. He was elected to Membership on Feb- ruary 24th, 1886. Mr. Allan, throughout his long life, evinced a keen interest in Natural History, especially in Ornithology and Entomology; and it was largely through his unceasing efforts that the "Wingham Brush" was reserved for the preservation of the native flora and fauna. In his younger days, he came to know John Gould, and was in the habit of visiting him in London. He was very highly esteemed in the Manning River district, in which he had resided so long, for his kindly disposi- tion, and for his readiness at all times to take a prominent share in promoting the interests of the district and the welfare of its inhabitants. Mr. Allan passed away on April 2.'5th, 1915, in his 95th year.
president's address.
Charles W. De Vis, M.A., Curator of the Queensland Museum for a number of years, died in Brisbane in April, 1915. Mr. De Vis, though somewhat later in the field than his colleague, in his official capacity, tried to do for the Queensland fauna, what Mr. Bailey did for the floi-a, but under more unmanageable and diffi- cult conditions; for the zoological species far outnumber the botanical species, and the zoologist has no comprehensive, self- contained monograph like the Flora Australiensis to serve as a basis for his work. Both were pioneers in a local effort to pro- vide, study, and record collections, illustrative of the fauna and flora of the same State and for State purposes; and they both encountered the usual preliminary difficulties, when such enter- prises are in the early stages of development. Almost all Mr. De Vis' numerous papers on the vertebrates, fossil or recent, of Queensland and New Guinea, are to be found in the Proceedings of this Society (forty, contributed during the years 1882-95), in the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland, in the Annual Reports on British New Guinea, 1889-97, published in Brisbane, or in the Annals of the Queensland Museum( 1892-1 91 1). By the aid of the "List of Contributors t(j the first Series of the Society's Proceedings" [21 titles listed; 19 others in Proceedings, 1886-1895]; of Dr. Shirley's "International Catalogue of Scien- tific Literature: Queensland Volume"{1889) [18 titles under Palaeontology; 49 under Zoology]; and of the recently published "Index to Vols, i.-xxv. of the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland" (191 4), his numerous papers can be readily found. For reasons mentioned, circumstances did not permit of his issuing collected results, as his botanical colleague was able to do. Mr. De Vis was elected a Corresponding Member of the Society in July, 1882. He had retired from active work for some years before his decease, on account of advancing age. It is remark- able that Queensland should lose the two veterans, whos« work was carried on concurrently for so many years, not only in the same year, but within so short a time as a few weeks of each other. From the absence of biographical details, this notice is necessarily short.
PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. /
Frederick Manson Bailey, C.M.G., Colonial Botanist of Queensland, the Society's senior Corresponding Member, elected on ■26th November, 1877, whose long and active life came to an end on ■25th June, 1915, was widely known and esteemed throughout Australia for "his benevolence and simple-mindedness, as well as for his zeal as a botanist. He came from England to South Australia with his family, in 1839, a boy of twelve. Later on he spent some time at the goldfields in Victoria; then returned to Adelaide for a time; in 1853, migrated to New Zealand, where he remained for some years; and finally, he came back to Aus- tralia in 1861, and settled in Queensland. For a time, he engaged in private business in Brisbane. In 1875, he accepted the position of botanist to a Board appointed to deal with the diseases of plants and animals; this was his first official connec- tion with Australian botany. Later on, he took charge of the botanical section of the Queensland Museum, until, in 1881, he was promoted to the position of Colonial Botanist. He was then able to devote himself in earnest to systematic collecting, and to the study and revision, from personal knowledge, of the Queens- land flora. Tnis he carried out exhaustively during the rest of his life, so that, as his last illness was very brief, he died in harness, in his 89th year. Queensland had attained the status of a separate Colony in 1859, only about two years before Mr. Bailey arrived, and its total population was about 30,000. Hence he was practically an eyewitness of its evolution, and his botanical work developed with its expansion. The flora soon attracted his attention, but scientific enterprises in Queensland were in their infancy; and, until the Flora Australiensis (1863-78) was completed, his progress in doing effective work was somewhat retarded. His first contribution to a knowledge of the Queens- land flora was a modest, private venture, entitled "Handbook to the Ferns of Queensland: with xxii. Plates illustrative of Genera," published in 1874. As this made its appearance before the last volume of the Flora Australiensis was ready, it was re- published in a rearranged and extended form, in 1881, following the classification of Bentham, under a new name, "The Fern
8 president's address.
World of Australia." In the meantime, during the years 1877- 81, eight papers, one of them "On the Flora of .Stradbroke Island," appeared in the Proceedings of this Society [Vols, ii.-vi.]; in addition to two written in collaboration with the late Rev. J. E. Tenison- Woods, one of them entitled "A Census of the Flora of Brisbane"; the other "On some of the Fungi of New South Wales and C^ueensland"[Vols. iv.-v.]. His first official publica- tion seems to have been a booklet entitled "Inquiry for Seeds of Grasses and other Fodder-Plants; with a List of the Grasses of Queensland" [12mo., Brisbane, 1877]. In this, he gave some particulars respecting the Board a23pointed by Parliament to inquire into diseases of live stock and plants; and signed him- self, at the end, "Botanist to the Board." Mr. Bailey distributed liis numerous publications liberally, and they are well known. With the aid of the "List of Contributors" to the first ten Volumes of our Proceedings [10 entries]; Dr. Shirley's Queensland Biblio- graphy [54 entries up to 1899]; and the recently issued Index to Vols, i.-xxv. of the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland, there is no difficulty in following up his work. After 1899, his most important productions were The Queensland Flora, in six Parts(1899-1902); The Weeds and Suspected Poison Plants of Queensland(l 906); and The Comprehensive [illustrated] Catalogue of Queensland Plants, both Indigenous and Naturalised (191 2). These three are, in reality, the collected and summarised results of all his work, though, up to the last, he continued his series of "Contributions to the Flora of Queensland," appearing in the Queensland Agricultural Journal, giving the results of any sup- plementary information available.
It is difficult to estimate the total number of the additions to the Queensland flora which Mr. Bailey was enabled to make, from the way in which he tabulated his results. Thus, in his Second Census (1889), Baron von Mueller gives the following numbers: — Vasculares: Australia, 1,409 genera, 8,839 species: Queensland, 3,753 species(42'5 per cent.). Mr. Bailey, in the Comprehensive Catalogue, includes the vascular with the other Cryptogams, and gives his results thus — Phanerogams of Queens-
president's address.
land, 1,222 genera, 4,259 species with 437 varieties; naturalised species, 307. Cryptogams, 818 genera, 3,606 species with 283 varieties. From this it will be seen, that the species of Phanei'o- gams alone outnumber the species of Vasculares given in the Baron's table by more than 500 — a very substantial increase.
In his Presidential Address to the Royal Society of Queens- land in July, 1891, entitled "Concise History of Australian Botany," Mr. Bailey gave an account of his early travels in search of Queensland plants, as well as of the collectors, who, from time to time, sent him material. He also makes some interesting references to his father, John Bailey, Colonial Botanist of South Australia, from whom he inherited his botanical tastes; and he explains how it was that, from the comparative poverty of the native flora of the Adelaide district, his father's energy naturally found more scope in horticulture than in botany, though he did not altogether neglect the native plants.
The "Handbook of Ferns," Mr. Bailey's earliest jjublication, was published in 1874. His last effort was the latest of the series entitled "Contributions to the Flora of Queensland," con- tained in Part 4 of Vol. iii., N.S. of the Queensland Agricultural Journal for April, 1915; so that his published work covers a period of more than forty years; but this embodies the results of fifty-four years' experience under conditions that were slowly altering. He enlisted the co-operation of specialists in some of the groups of Cryptogams, so that he was able to catalogue and furnish descriptions, and in many cases illustrations, of all the known Queensland plants, in an accessible fox-m convenient for reference. By unwavering zeal, and unflagging industry, he completed the task he set himself, and he did it well. His memory deserves to be held in kindly remembrance, not only in Queensland, but by all who are interested in the progress of Australian botany. We have heard with satisfaction, that Mr. J. F. Bailey, who for a long time assisted his father, has been appointed to succeed him.
The decease of Mr. J. R. Garland, in February, 1915, some time after the arrangements for the elections to fill vacancies in
10 president's address.
the Council for the Session, 1915-16 had been made, brought about an extraoidinary vacancy, which was subsequently filled by the appointment of Mr. A. F. Basset Hull, who, in accord- ance with the provisions of Rule xv., governing such appoint- ments, retires at this Meeting, but is eligible for re-election. From the foundation of the Society continuously np to the time of Mr. Garland's death, the Council had always included in its number one, and, for a great part of the period, two members of the legal profession interested in Science, who were most helpful in truidinsr the deliberations of the Council in matters submitted by, or to be referred to, the Society's Solicitors, or on obscure points which presented themselves unexpectedly, in connection with the administration of trusts. The appointment of Mr. Hull has restored the succession of such helpful members of Council.
As abstracts of the papers read during the year have been communicated to Members, and the papers themselves have been published, it is not necessary to refer to them in detail in offering a record of the Society's research-staff for the past year, as follows : —
Dr. R. Greig-Smith, Macleay Bacteriologist to the Society, continued his investigation of problems involved in the study of Soil-Fertility, and Nos. xiii., and xiv., of his series of papers on this subject were read during the year, and will be found in the last Part of the Proceedings. The first of these treats of the toxicity of soils; the second, of the stimulative action of chloro- form retained by the soil. In addition, a third paper, in Parti., is descriptive of a new levangum-forming bacterium, which has been isolated and studied.
Dr. J. M. Petrie, Linnean Macleay Fellow in Biochemistry, completed two papers, (me on the identification of the alkaloid of Native Tobacco, which will be read at the second Meeting of the coming Session; and the other, the third part of his study of hydrocyanic acid in plants. Other problems in hand are the statement of the results of the analyses of the inorganic con- stituents of plants; the photographic effects of the latex of Euphorbia pepliis; the chemistry of the native Duboisias; and the alkaloids of Solandra Icevin.
president's address. 11
Mr. E. F. Hallniann, Linnean Macleay Fellow in Zoology, in continuation of his study of the Monaxonid Sponges, almost com- pleted the examination of the Axinellidce. A preliminary study of the Sponges brought back by the Australasian Antarctic Ex- pedition received attention.
Mr. W. N. Benson, Linnean Macleay Fellow in Geology, con- tinued his work on the geology and petrology of the Great Ser- pentine-Belt; and two papers. Parts iv., and v., of the series, dealing with the dolerites, spilites, and keratophyres of the Nundle district; and with the geology of the Tamworth district, were read during the year; and have appeared in Parts i. and iii. of the Proceedings for the year. The preparation of No. vi., treating of the intermediate region between the Nundle and Tamworth districts, and also a preliminary study of the Cuira- bubula and Werris Creek areas were taken in hand, and some progress attained; but were subsequently suspended for special reasons. In August last, as a concession allowed during war- time, the Council granted Mr. Benson three months' leave of absence, afterwards extended up to the end of his term of ap- pointment, in order to relieve Professor David of some of his University work, at first for national organisation at home, and later for military service abroad. The Council felt that the Society should cheerfully accept a share of the inconvenience and of the results of the disturbance of normal conditions arising in connection with the war. Mr. Benson will retire from his Fel- lowship at the end of his term, in order to continue the work which he has undertaken, during Professor David's absence. During his two years' coimection with the Society as Fellow, Mr. Benson has carried out his work with both ability and zeal, and has amply justified his appointment. Throughout his work, he has had the great advantage of being in close touch with Professor David, whose experience and advice have always been freely available, both in the field, as well as in the laboratory. He has well advanced the subject he took in hand; and we hope that, when circumstances permit, he may be able to continue and
12 president's address.
complete the important and promising work, whicli he has so well begun.
Mr. R. J. Tillyard, Linnean Macleay Fellow in Zoology, has completed liis first year's work. Four papers have been sub- mitted, two of which, on the rectal gills in the larvae of Ani- sopterid Dragonflies, and the first of a series devoted to the study of Australian Neuroptera, were read during the year; and will be found in Parts ii., and iii., of the Proceedings for the year. The second and third of the series will be communicated at the first and third Meetings of the new Session.
For the third time, in October, 1915, the Council was able to offer four Fellowships, the full number. Five applications were received; and I have now the pleasure of making the first public announcement of the Council's reappointment of Dr. J. M. Petrie, Mr. E. F. Kallmann, and Mr. R. J. Tillyard to Linnean Macleay Fellowships in Biochemistry and Zoology; and of the appoint- ment of Mr. H. 8. Halcro Wardlaw, B.Sc, to a Linnean Macleay Fellowship in Physiology, for one year from 1st proximo; and, on behalf of the Society, of wishing for them favourable oppor- tunities for carrying out their important work, with a very satis- factoiy measure of success.
In joining the Society's research-staff, Mr. Wardlaw does so with an excellent record, both as a student and as a Research Scholar of the University of Sydney. On graduating, in 1913, he obtained First Class Honours in Chemistry and Physiology, and was awarded the University Medal for Physiology. In the same year, he was appointed to a Science Research Scholarship, which he has held for two years, during which period a series of investigations were completed, the results of which are embodied in five papers, of which f(jur have been communicated to the Royal Society of New South Wales; and one, on "The Temper- ature of Echidna," is to be found in our Proceedings for last year. A sixth paper is ready, and will be published in London. Mr. Wardlaw, as a Linnean Macleay Fellow, will continue and extend his work on the physiology of the secretion of milk and on problems which arise in connection therewith. As this is the
president's address. 13
first time a physiologist has been appointed to a Fellowship, we look forward with pleasurable expectation to a more prominent place of this branch of science in the Society's Proceedings than has hithei'to been possible.
The names of one Society and two Institutions — the National Academy of Sciences at Washington, the Zoological Museum at Tring, England, and the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz at Rio de Janeiro — have been added to the Society's Exchange-list during the year. The addition of their valuable publications to the library is very welcome.
Thi-ee portraits of workers identified in some way with the fauna or flora of Australia were presented during the year, and are now on view — one of Professor Herdman of Liverpool Uni- versity, the gift of Mr. C. Hedley; the second of the late Rev. Dr. WooUs, well known to, and highly venerated by, the older botanical members of the Society, for some years a contributor to our Proceedings, for which the Society is indebted to the Trustees of the Australian Museum; and the third, of the late Alexander Walker Scott, formerly of Ash Island, author of "Australian Lepidoptera," and an active member of the Entomological Society of New South Wales, a donation from the Secretary. It is very gratifying to have the Society's collection of portraits added to in this interesting and very welcome manner.
Dr. E. Mjoberg, of Stockholm, has been good enough to send to the Society reprints of eleven papers published in the Hand- hnger[Bd. lii., 191.3-15] or in the Arkiv for Zoologi[Bd. ix.,1915] of the Royal Swedish Academy — a first instalment of a series entitled "Results of Dr. E. Mjoberg's Swedish Scientific Expedi- tions to Australia, 1910-13." Six authors have co-operated in the production of these papers, which deal with the Mammals, Reptiles, Batrachia, certain groups of Hymenoptera [Fam. Ste- 2)hanklie, Ichneumonidce, Braconido', and Formicidfe^, and some Mesozoic plants. A number of species are described as new, and many notes on geographical distribution and on other matters are given. When completed, the series promises to be a very important contribution to a knowledge of the fauna of the out- lying parts of Australia in which the collecting was done.
14 president's address.
I am sure that I shall voice the sentiments of this Meeting in offering to two of our Members, who have given of their best at Gallipoli, sincere sympatliy in their bereav^ement.
We have heard, with pleasure, during the year, of the appoint- ments of two of our Members, both Members of the Council, also, to important positions in the Department of Mines — Mr. Cambage to succeed Mr. Pittman as Under Secretary; and Mr. J. E. Carne to the position of Government Geologist. On behalf of the Society, I would like to offer them our hearty congratulations on their promotion, and our best wishes for success in their new undertajvings.
To Mr. J. H. Maiden, also, I would offer our cordial felicita- tions on his election to the Royal Society of London.
A noteworthy feature of late years has been the foundation of large numbers of Societies all over the world, having for their object the protection and preservation of the Flora and Fauna, of natural beauty-spots, and places or buildings with historical associations.
In England, the Selborne Society is doing valuable work in fostering the tendency towards caring for plants and animals. America has its Audubon and other Societies, and, in Australia, there are the Wild Life Protection Society, the Gould League of Bird-lovers, and the Austi'alian Forest League.
The only way in which effective protection can be brought about is by educating the people, and leading them to see that it is necessary; and it is this method which is adopted by all these Societies. It is recognised by most of vis that, to be lasting, such education should begin as early as possible; and, for this reason, the Gould League of Bird-lovers seeks to enroll the school- children. In this respect, the League has received the greatest encouragement and assistance from the Educational authorities. In our own State and in Victoria, that assistance has been par- ticularly generous, and the results are very encouraging. In many country schools, the wild birds come no longer under that name, for they are almost domesticated; they come and feed
president's address. 15
among the children at their lunches, and show little fear of those who, a few years ago, would have been their natural enemies.
A significant sign of the improvement in the public point of view in this matter, is the frequent discussions in the press, both daily and weekly, of the value or harmfulness of birds. We find nowadays, a great many people who will even say a good word for the once universally detested Crow. It is recognised that, black though he may be, he is by no means so black as he is painted. And it is beginning to be generally understood that, as Mr. W. W. Froggatt pointed out many years ago, a bird may be very destructive in one locality, and extremely useful in another. In the matter of official protection of birds, we are veiy far behindhand. The Act gives a long list of protected birds, under the scientific names. The police, who are charged with the ad- ministration of the Act, have not the necessary knowledge of the birds. The remedy would be an Act which listed the birds which might be shot, a suggestion which we also owe to Mr. Froggatt.
One method of encouraging the birds — the provision of nest- ing-boxes— does not meet with a great deal of success. Our native birds do not take to these. In both England and America, the providing of such boxes is much resorted to. There are many firms which make a specialty of manufacturing them, and the birds respond by using them freely. But here, we find that, as a rule, the only tenants are the sparrow and the starling. It may be that Australia's being so recently settled, the birds have not reached that stage of sophistication which would lead them to see the advantages of such shelter.
All this is a matter for congratulation to such Societies as ours. The plants and animals offer numberless, unsolved prob- lems to the biologist, and their pi-eservation is, therefore, a matter of grave concern. And, in Australia, it is of very great importance on account of the unique characters of the fauna and flora. We are oflfered numbers of biological problems for in- vestigation, which from the nature of our fauna and flora, are of compelling interest. Yet it is a lamentable fact that not very
16 president's address.
much has been done by x\ustralian naturalists towards the solu- tion of these problems. This is all the more regrettable, because, as a consequence of the rapid spi-ead of settlement, and the in- creasing recjuirements of civilisation, many of our plants and animals are fast moving towards the limbo of lost thini-s where they will meet with the Dodo, and the Great Auk. The spread of the cities and the operations of land-vendors are rapidly de- stroying our highly specialised, local flora; and, with the plants, the animals also disappear. And with them will disappear the opportunity for research into their bionomics. In the vicinity of all our towns, the flora is becoming a cosmopolitan one, and the Australian element forms but a small portion of it. It behoves us, then, before it is too late, to get to work on the bionomics of our native plants and animals.
A very important problem among these is the pollination of Australian flowers by birds. Looking into this question, on the suggestion of Mr. J. J. Fletcher, I was surprised to discover how little definite information on the subject of bird-pollination was to be found. The fact that a given species of bird visits a flower, is often taken as evidence that the flower is pollinated by that bii'd, but as to the method by which it is done, no record is made. Schiuiper(3) quotes Belts' description of the pollination of Marc- gravia, and goes on: "Since Belt's classical description, and the unfortunately very short communications of F. Miiller, the know- ledge of humming-bird flowers has not made any considerable progress, for the surmises of several botanists formed far away from the home of humming-birds cannot be considered as such. The share taken by humming-birds in causing the peculiarities of many American flowers, can be ascertained only by careful and critical investigations on the spot." These remarks apply equally well to pollination by birds in Austi'alia.
One of the first questions arising is, Are bird-pollinated flowers specially adapted in any way? Certainly many of them do pre- sent special features. Hermann Muller(2) says that ornithophil- ous flowers present several types. Many of them possess large, brilliantly coloured flowers, very frequently scarlet, pouched in
president's address. 17
form, upright in position, and secreting a great abundance of honey. But Kerner(5) says that laterally directed flowers are visited solely by hovering visitors such as the owlet- and hawk- moths and humming-birds, which require no platform, and, there- fore, none is provided. And he speaks of the absence of plates, ridges, fringes, pegs, or knobs in bird-pollinated flowers. From personal observation, I should think that a large number of them have pendent flowers, as in the Fuchsia and Abutilon. It is certain, too, that honey-eating birds will visit any type of flower that contains much nectar. Moseley(6) speculates whether the humming-birds of Juan Fernandez may not be the agents of pollination in the strawberi'ies, cherries, peaches, and apples. It is certain that honey-eating birds will visit any flower, no matter what type, that contains much honey. Beal records the pollina- tion of cherries and catmint, and red clo\'cr is recorded by another observer.
Still, there is no doubt but that the majority of bird-pollinated flowers are more or less tubular, are brilliant in colour, and con- tain much honey. Further investigation will result in other types being recognised, but the above is no doubt the commonest. It is remarkable how soon birds recognise suitable introduced plants. Our Australian honey-eaters regularly visit Hibiscus, Abutilon, Tecoma capense, and other species, Bignonia venusta, B. radicans, Pentstemon, Gladiolus, Honeysuckle, Cotyledon, Echeveria, and Agave, all eminently adapted to bird-visitors.
One fact that must not be lost sight of is, that flowers specially adapted for pollination by birds, are equally adapted for visits from hawk-moths, and other moths with long probosces. Bates(4) relates how he, several times, shot a moth instead of a bird, and says that the manner of flight and poise before a flower are pre- cisely like those actions in a humming-bird. Only after some days was he able to distinguish the bird from the moth. He records, also, that the natives, and many of the educated whites, believed the moth was a bird. The daylight and crepuscular hawk-moths do frequent the same flowers, and are as successful in pollinating them, as the birds. I have observed that Clero-
18 president's address.
dendron tomentosum is visited by the Spinebill in the daytime, and by hawk-moths in the evening and at night. But while the day-flying moths visit the same flowers as the birds, the night- flying moths would not visit the red flowers, for even by strong moonlight, the red colour would be invisible. The close resem- blance of the moth and the bird is a very interesting example of how similar environment brings about analogous structure, and similar habits in very different organisms. A more curious instance of this is the fact recorded in Knuth(8), that a bat, in Trinidad, pollinates the flowers of a tree, behaving so like a moth that it was mistaken for one. It has a brush-like tongue like a humming-bird.
The profession of pollinator seems, in the main, to be confined to a few families of birds. In America, the humming-birds (Trochilidce) and sugar-birds (Ccerehidce.) are chiefly concerned. In Hawaii, the Drepauididce (36 spp. in 17 genera) and Melipha- gidoi (5 spp. in 2 genca-a) are the agents. In Australia, we have Meliphagidce {1 2 spp. in 23 genera), and 7 species of brush- tongued Lorikeets. Africa has its iinnhiixh (Ciunyridce) and F\ower-Y>eckers( Dicceidff ). In New Zealand, are the Meliphagid(e and a few parrots.
But there is no doubt that other birds, at times, pollinate flowers. Whether they visit the flowers in search of insects, or nectar, is not quite apparent. Moseley(6) gives an account of Artamus lencopyg talis being shot, and found to have the bases of their bills clogged with pollen, which, he thinks, they got in searching flowers for insects. But Mr. Musson, in a letter to Mr. Fletcher, i-ecords that numbers of Arfamus personatus, and A. superciliosus visited the flowers of a Beefwood (Grevillea robusta) and fed on the nectar. When some starlings visited the tree, the wood-swallows left, and the starlings began to feed on the nectar in just the same way. I have also been informed by several observers that sparrows probe the flowers of the Coral- tree (Eri/thrina) in the same way that the honey-eaters do. It is probable that closer inquiry into the habits of our birds will result in the discovery that many of them, while not professional
president's address. 19
pollinatoi's, yet do a good deal of that work as amateui-s. Mr. North informs me that Black Cockatoos visit the heads of Bank- sia-flowers in search of honey, and, no doubt, often pollinate some of the flowers in doing so.
All the special pollinating birds have some peculiarities of structure, which fit them for the special work they have to do. The huiuming-birds are capable of poising on the wing before the flowers they frequent, their beaks are either long or short, slender, curved, and, in some cases, at least, specially adapted to pollen- carrying. In a paper by J. L. Hancock(7), he describes and figures the beak of a humming-bird, showing what he calls a "pollen repository" — a groove in the ventral surface of the bill, and gi'ooves at the angle of the mouth, from the nostril on the upper side. He also describes feathers about the head apparently adapted for holding pollen. These have barbules with barbicels. The pollen-grains are held between two barbules, or the barbs spread apart, and hold pollen like a pair of forceps.
In a paper by Robert Ridgway(9), he describes the tongue of the hunnning-bird as follows: "The tongue of this species (and doubtless others have a similar conformation) presents, when recent, the appearance of two tubes laid side by side, united for lialf their length, but separate for the remainder. Their sub- stance is transparent in the same degree as a good quill, which they much resemble. Each tube is formed by a lamina rolled up, yet not so as to bring the edges into actual contact, for there is a longitudinal fissure in the outer side running up considerably higher than the junction of the tubes; into this fissure, the point of a pin may be inserted and moved up and down. Near the tip, the outer edge of each lamina ceases to be convolute, but is spread out, and split at the margin into irregular fimbria- which point backward like the vane of a feather. These are not barbs, however, but simply soft and flexible points, such as might be produced by snipping diagonally the edges of a strip of paper. I conjecture that the nectar of flowers is pumped up the tubes, and that minute insects are caught, when in the flowers, in these spoon-like tips, their mimite limbs being perhaps entangled in
20 president's address.
the fimbrije, when the tongue is i*etracted into the beak, and the insects swallowed by the ordinary process, as doubtless those are which are captured by the beak when in iiight."
Prof. Beal(ll) gives the results of the investigations of some students into bird-pollination by humming-biixls. They visit flowers for at least two objects, for insects and for nectar. Pollen-grains have been found on the bills and on the heads of the birds. They were seen to frequent pelargoniums, fuchsias, trumpet-creeper, phloxes, verbenas, catmint, milkweed, tropoeo- lums, honeysuckles, lilacs, morning-glories, cherries, and wild balsam.
In the latter, the anthers form a covering to the pistil. Tf the flowers are covered up, no seed is produced. Humming-birds visited all the open flowei's. Every time one plunged his beak in, the head, a little above the beak, became dusted with pollen. Where the anthers were removed, the birds left pollen on the stigma. All the flowers in one cluster were visited twice in 15 minutes. Impaticns fidva is cross-fertilised mainly, if not entirely, by humming-birds.
Trelease, in a note supplementary to Prof. Beal'slU), says the Ruby-throat is often seen to get nectar from both glands at the base of the cotton flowers. It was constantly seen at the flowers of Oenothera smuata, very often about those of the may- pop {Passlflora incarnata), the white-flowered buckeye (Aescidus parviflora), the wild and cultivated morning-glories, yellow day- lily, white oleander, several sorts of pelargonium, lemon, fuchsia, larkspur, malaviscus, zinnia, sage-bush, osier-willow. One was seen at the flowers of gourd, and several times at flowers of Lobelia eardinalis, where they usually acted as the one spoken of in American Naturalist, 1S79, p. 431. Flowers of Erythrina herhacea were often visited, and they appear to be adapted for fertilisation by them like the Palosabre in Belt. According to Gould, to number all the flowers visited by them would be equivalent to repeating the names of half the plants of North America. The same author also gives an account(ll) of the fertilisation of Salvia sphndeuft. One of the flowers visited had
t'RESIDENX's ADDRESS. 2l
the stigma closed. The lever of the connective was nearly an inch long.
In "The Fauna Hawaiiensis"(10), Perkins gives a long account of the pollination of endemic flowers by native birds belonging to the Families Drepanidid(e and Meliphayidc. The former contains thirty-five species in seventeen genera, and the latter five species in two very distinct genera. The birds of the first family vary from entirely honey-eating to entirely insect-eating, and the Meliphagid(H appear to be entirely honey-eating. All the Dre- paiiididoi have the tubular tongue, which shows descent from a common ancestor; and the author considers that that ancestor was a honey-eater, but that, as insects became more common, the characters of some of the birds gradually altered. He states that nectar is absolutely necessary to the existence of five of the genera, and that these can be kept alive on nectai- ami sugar- cane juice. The nectar-feeding birds ai-e characterised by a slender beak, as well as the tubular tongue. "All, or practically all, the plants visited by these liirds for food had bell-shaped or tubular blossoms, in which nectar was more or less hard to reach. Of these tubular-rtowered plants, there are several predominant genera, some of which are themselves restricted to the islands, and belong to various families, comprising hosts of peculiar species. Most striking of all are the arborescent Lobeliacete, not closely related to forms found in other countries. The mul- tiplicity of these plants, and their isolation from foreign forms bears a striking i^esemblance to that of the Drepanid birds them- selves, indicating likewise an extremely ancient occupation of the island." This seems to me to show that the flowers (Jjobe- liacea) anfl the birds developed in dejjendence upon each other, and the author holds the same view, for he says: — "How easily
the extraordinary lengthening of the bill may have taken
place, side by side with the increasing length of the tubular flowers, is apparent from tht; fact that, even now, in some of the bii'ds, tlierc is iiuHvidual \ai"iation in this respect. ... A series of observatiims made on one of the most superb of the Lobelias showed that it could only be fertilised by these highly specialised
22 president's address.
birds." It is much to be regretted that \Mr. Perkins does not give full particulars of these observations. Just as in many other cases, we have no information beyond the fact that the birds visit the flowers.
A note of interest is to be found in the method cniplo3'ed by the hunters in the old days for taking Drepanis pacifica — the Mamo — the bird from which the yellow feathers used in the ancient feather-work was procured. The hunter covered himself with the branches and leaves of a tubular-flowered plant, and held, between finger and thumb, one of the flowers. AVhen tlie bird inserted its bill, he closed his finger and thumb together, and thus captured it. The birds and flowei's of Hawaii offer a unique opportunity to a field-naturalist to enrich our knowledge of bird-pollination.
Scott Elliott has published two papers on bird-pollination in South Africa(12). He mentions Protea incompta, P. mellifera, P. lepidocarjxi, P. longifolia, P. grmidifioi-a, P. cordata, P. SGolyvius, Leucospertnum conocarpiis, and L. nutans as being fertilised by the birds Promerops cafer and Nectarinia chalyhea.
Bertha Stoneman, in her bright little book on South African plants and their ways, mentions the pollination of Gladiolus and Loranthus by the Nectarinia?. But no details as to method are given.
A good deal of observational work has been done in New- Zealand on pollination by birds. l)arwin(14) quotes Potts (Trans. N.Z. Inst.) as follows: "In New Zealand, many specimens of the Anthoi'nis me/anura had their heads coloured with pollen from the flowers of an endemic species of Fuchsia." Wallace gives a list of Australian and New Zealand flowers pollinated by birds(l5), and says, "The great extent to which insect and bird agency is necessary to flowers is well shown by the case of New Zealand. The entire counti-y is comparatively poor in species of insects, especially in bees and butterflies, which are the chief flowei*- fertilisers; yet, according to the researches of local botanists, no less than one-fourth of all the flowering plants are incapable of self-fertilisation, and, therefore, wholly dependent on insect and bird agency for the continuance of the species. '
PRESIDENT S ADDRESS.
2^
Thonison(l6) gives a good account of the pollination of the Glory-pea {Clianfhus punicpus). The birds concerned are the Tui, and the Korimako. The calyx of the flower contains a large drop of honey. Birds, in inserting their beaks, push back the carina, and this retains its hold of the style for a consider- able time, till the pressure becomes too great, when the latter is jerked forward by its own elasticity, and throws out the accumu- lated pollen on the intruder's head. Of Fuchsia excorticata, F. Colensoi, and F. procumbent, he says that each species is dimor- phic. The larger forms are green and purple, with exserted anthers. Both forms are scentless, but contain much honey. They appear to be fertilised by Tuis and honey-birds. The flowers are pendulous, affording no resting-place for insects, and have so large a quantity of honey that any insects, except long-tongued forms, would be drowned. Kirk(17) says F. excorticata and anothei' species which he does not name, are trimorphic, and that, in the latter species under cultivation, the mid- and short-styled forms ai'e certainly self-fertilised. But in F. excoi'ticata, "the entire work of fertilisation is effected by two forms only; the long-styled can exercise no influence on the fertilisation of other flowers; it is a female flower, and, there- fore, must receive pollen from the mid- or short-styled form, or from both. It is, therefore, remarkable, that long-styled flowers produce fruit in greater profusion than the mid- or short-styled. In the absence of experiments, it would be rash to assert that the short- and mid-styled forms are incapable of fertilisation, but there can be no doubt that the application of pollen of either form to the stigma of thfe other would result in the formation of lai'ge numbers of seeds The short-styled form may occa- sionally be self-fertilised, as detached pollen falling from its stamens may come in contact with the sides of its stigma. Birds are the usual agents for the transfer of pollen from one plant to another. It is interesting to watch them poising on the wing and dexterously inserting their beaks into the slender tube of the flower." Thomson also enumerates, as bird -pollinated, the following — Sophora tetraptera, chiefly visited by honey-birds
2.4: president's address.
(another visitor will be mentioned later); Metrosidcros lucida, probably fertilised by Tuis and honey-birds, which, in great numbers, frequent them; J/, hy per ici folia, sometimes visited by birds; LoranthuH cohnsol, scarlet tlowers, no scent or honey, but this is probably developed at some period of growth, and it then attracts Tuis and honey-birds; Phcn-miuin tenax is chiefly ferti- lised by birds. Insects may visit the flowers, but they depend upon Tuis and honey-birds. Kakas and parakeets also aid sometimes.
Petrie(18) gives an account of the pollination of Vitex lucens. "There is no doubt pollination is effected exclusively by small birds. These constantly visit the flowers, hanging on the rigid leaf-stalk or flower-stalks, and insert their bills into the corolla- tube to suck the nectar. In sucking the sweet juice, the Tui may be seen grasping the flower in one foot and turning it i-ound into a more convenient position. In passing from flower to flower, the birds cannot avoid bringing pollen from young flowers to older ones." In an earlier volume(18), he refers to the pollina- tion of Rhahdothamnus Solandri as being effected by birds, and notes that the flowers are orange striped with red.
Kirk(17) quotes a description of Colenso's of the pollination of Suplwra tetraptera by the New Zealand parrot {Nestur nieridiuu- alis) as follows: — "Close to the village, and even within its fence, were several large Kowhai trees; these were covered with their
golden flowers, and mostly witliout leaves The parrots
flocked screaming to the Sophora blossoms. It was a strange sight to see them; how deftly they managed to go (^)ut to the end of a long, lithe branch, preferring to walk parrot-fashion, and there swing backwards and forwards, lick out the honey with their big tongues without liijurliuj the yoittuj fruit. ... I found that all the fvilly expanded flowers had had the upper parts of calyces and the uppermost petal (vexillum) torn out; this the pari'ots had done to get at the honey. As the flowers are pro duced in lai'ge, thick bunches, some are necessarily twisted or turned upside down; still it is always that peculiai' petal and that part of the calyx (though often in such cases underneath)
PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. 25
which have been torn away. Through this, no injury was done to the young enclosed fruit, which would, in all probability, have been the case if any of the other j^etals had l)een bitten off."
Laing and Blackwell(19) refer to a number of plants already mentioned, and add Knlghtia excelna as much visited by Tuis and bell birds.
North's "Catalogue of the Nests and Eggs of Australian and Tasmanian Birds" gives a total of 67 species of honey-eaters and brush-tongued lories, but the author informs me that live species have been added to the honey-eaters since that section of his cata- logue was completed. Add to these tlie Black Cockatoo, already referred to as visiting Banksia-heads, and we have 74 species, in 26 genera (though Matthews puts the Honey-eaters in 42 genera), all iiower-frequenting in tlieir habits. Both the Honey-eaters and the Lorikeets have their tongues markedly adapted to their nectar- feeding habits.
Von Mueller's "Second Census of Australian I'lants" contains 8,581 species of Howering plants — a number which is now some- what too small; but the records of new species are so scattered, that I have not attempted to arri\e at the correct total. I have gone through the Census, and tind that there are, at least. 649 species adapted to bird-pollination. This is no doubt under the real number; many of tlie plants are unknown to me; and I have also omitted the Styplielias, most of wliich are ornithophilous, because von iMueller has lumped several genera, such as Leuco- pogon, not oi-nithophilous, in tliat genus. But evi 'n so, this shows that about 7*4^ of oar flowering plants are ornithophilous. Of the 649 species mentioned, :i8."), or a uood deal more than half, are Proteads, wliich are peculiarly adapted for biid-visitors.
Taking a smaller area, 1 am tolerably familiar with the plants and birds of the Mudgee district. In that district, there are 401 flowering plants, and of tliese oii are ornithophilous, 14 being Proteads. Thus 13"2//of the flowering plants are adapted to l)irds. There are 194 species of birds, of wliich 23 are honey- feeders (13*3%), a rather curious coincidence. It can be seen,
26 president's address.
then, that tlie birds and flowers whicli are dependent on each otlier form a large percentage of the avifauna and the tiora.
We hardly expect to find references to bird-pollination in Gould's "Birds of Australia." But we do iind numerous allusions to the nectar-feeding habits of the honey-eaters; and he also re- peatedly states that they eat pollen, giving instances of pollen being found in their stomachs.
The earliest reference, which I can tind, to the pollination of Australian Howers by birds, is in an article on Eucalyptus by Dr. WooUs(l). Speaking of hybridisation in E. tereticornis, he says, "With regard to hybridisation in this genus, the flowers of which are probably fertilised before the operculum is cast off, Dr. Mueller does not think that it is impossible, but that all ordinary chances are against it. 'Still,' he continues, 'as Mr. W. S. Macleay remarked, parrots and other birds occasionally bite off the flower- buds, and may accidentally uncover a stigma, and remove the anthers; and, again, insects may then flnish oft' their work, and carry pollen across from another species."
A correspondent, Mr. S. T. Turner, in a letter, mentions that, at the time of writing, parrots were very busy biting off' the oper- cula of Eucalypt-buds.
I do not thilik that there is any foundation for the opinion that Eucalypt-flowers are fertilised in the bud. They are conspicuous flowers when open, scented, and contain a large amount of nectar, all of whicli would point to pollination by insects or birds.
I ha\e not been al)le to trace any further allusion to bird-polli- nation in Australia until 1895, when a couple of short notes by myself were read at a Meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science(20). These recorded the visits of Acanthorhynchus, and a species of Ptilotis to Erythrina indica, and of Acantliorhynchus to Telopea. In neither was the jDrocess described, but it was in a later paper(21). In Erythrina, the flowers are curved towards the left, and the bird sits on the riglit- hand-side, and inserts its beak into the other side. The pressure forces the stamens and style out, so that they brush on the side of the bird's neck, leaving a deposit of pollen. Sliould tlie bird then
PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 27
visit a flower in which the stigma is receptive, some pulleii would uudoiibtedly reach it. I captured a bird while feeding, and found a considerable smear of pollen 'on the neck. As a rule, birds feeding on nectar allow a much closer approach, and it seems also as if they lost some of their fear of man ; for when I held a blos- som to the bird in my hand, it inserted its bill, and fed on the nectar. 1 have seen a note on honey-eating birds stating that they may become intoxicated with the honey, and even drop to the ground at times, but, unfortunately, I omitted to record the refer- ence. There is no doubt, however, that some flowers produce nec- tar which is more or less intoxicating. That of Banksia ericifolia is so, and is apt to produce, a severe headache in some people. Although the birds were most assiduous in their attentions to the trees I hail under observation, no fruits were produced. I care- fully pollinated a large number of flowers, and found that the fruit developed till it was four inches in length, and as thick as a knitting needle, but at this stage it invariably dropped oft'. Her- mann Muller(2) says that Darwin states, on the autliority of MacArthur's Observations tliat, in New South Wales, Erythrina does not produce good fruit unless the flowers are shaken. But the late Mr. G. H. Cox told me that it bore seed freely at Mulgoa. And I have been told that it seeds plentifully on the Northern Rivers and in Queensland.
The Note on Teloj^ea states : "The flowers produce very large quantities of nectar at certain stages, so that if a head is shaken, a shoAver of drops is thrown ott'. They are nuich visited by Acan- thorhynchus and other honey-eating birds, j^et they rarely produce fruits; but when a plant does, it usually develops a large num- ber. In one instance, I observed a head wliich was nuich damaged by some larvae, and this head afterwardjs developed several capsules." Later I was able to watch one of these birds at a head, which was in the nectar-bearing stage. 1 could not get close enough to see just where the pollen was deposited on the bird, but I marked the plant, and afterwards found eleven capsules on it.
Ho]tze{22) gives tlie following account of the pollination of Grevillea chrysodendron: — "The showy flowers of this species are
28 president's address.
closely packed into the form of a brush, aud abound iu nectar. Before maturity, the long pistil is curved, so that the stigmatic pomt is inserted between the anijiiers at its foot. At maturity, the pistil becomes erect, bearing on its head the pollen deposited there by the anthers. The tree is visited by a small bird for the nectar in the flowers, and the pollen is taken from tree to tree on its breast and head, which come into contact with the stigma in prob- ing for the nectar. Cross-fertilisation, therefore, is facilitated, aud the existence of the provision for the pollen being deposited natur- ally on each stigma would lead one to expect that, in the ancestral form, this was to insure fertilisation should the floAver not receive pollen from elsewhere. However, in the species under notice, the flowers appear to be incapable of fertilisation with their own pol- len," The writer makes the common mistake of supposing that the whole of the disc on the end of the style is stigmatic, but this is not so. The stigma is a minute, nipple-like point in the centre, and in no species of Protead have 1 ever seen pollen on this.
Dr. Shirley, in the same volunie{23), has a paper on "Pecu- liarities of the Flowers of the Order Proteacese,'" in wliich he says, speaking of Grevillea : "The lowest have styles with a true stigmatic surface. The central ones have immature styles coated with pollen. The apical ones are still hooked in the perianths, and, where the style-end is adherent to the petals, are clothed round the line of attachment with a copious supply of honey. Parrots and honey-eaters frequent the plants at this and earlier stages, clinging below the flowers, and reaching to the apex of the inflorescence where most honey lies. In doing so, they brush the pollen from the central flowers on their feathers, and, visiting the next branch, attach the grains to the lower stigmas of the next inflorescence, thus fertilising them." He also notes the small proportion of fruits that are sometimes found : "That this apparatus often fails is seen in the few perfect fruits on Hakea and Macadamia bushes which have borne masses of blossoms, and by there being seldom a dozen fruits on a Banksia-cone, which carried a thousand perfect flowers."
With the assistance of some students, I investigated a bush of
president's address. 29
Banksia erictfolia. We found that the average number of flowers on a head was 900. Then, takinu' :ill tlie heads more than one year old, we fonnd that only 001 per t-ent. of tlie flowers had developed fruits. Usually one finds a large number of old cones without a single fruit, and then one with from twelve, up to twenty. In one instance, we found forty fruits on a single head. I attribute this to the fact that, wlien tlie birds find a liead with plenty of nectar, they worlc over it again and again. In West Australia, I noticed that the Banksias al)out Perth bore comparatively few fruits, while those round about Albany fruited very freely. This arises, I tliink, from the fact that the honey-eaters are much more plentiful at the latter place, and perhaps also from the presence of Tarsipes, which is still found in that neighbourhood.
Mr. Musson and Mr. Carne have been good enough to supply me with some interesting observations on bird-pollination, but, unfor- tunately, I ha\e mislaid their very accurate series of notes on tlie pollination of Grerillea rohnsta, illustrated Avitli photographs. The notes showed that the flowers, at different stages, took up different j^ositions. and that these changes were related to the habits of the birds in visiting the blossoms. I hope Messrs. Musson and Cai-ne have copies of these notes, as they certainly should be ]iublished, and would form a notable addition to our knowledge of bird-pollination in Australia. In one of Mr. Musson's notes, he says the Silver-eyes come to the underside of the horizontal spike of flowers by swinging the l)ody round to get at the nectar. He also mentions tlie bees, and a motli, apparently a species of AgTostis, frequenting the flowers. Another interesting observation was made at Lindfield. An Acacia, probably .1. suaveolens, Avas in- fested with numbers of the Berry-scale {Lecaninm haccatum), and these excreted large drops of honeydew. Two individuals of the tufted honey-eater, FtUntis (niricfnnis, were seen feeding on the drops of sweet fluid. None of the scales were damaged ; the birds were undoubtedly after the honeydew. This is an interesting observation, as it shows that the Meliphagidae will go to any sweet fluid they detect. It is tolerably certain, therefore, that they will visit nectar-bearing flowers whicli tliey cannot pollinate.
30 president's address.
While on tlie subject of the Proteads, I may mention that, as long ago as 1882, Trelease(24) made out, from the examination of plants growing' in the Botanic Garden in Cambridge, Mass., the structure and mode of pollination of Hakea nodosa, and of Gre- villea Thelemanniana. He notes that both flowers are incapable of self-pollination, and that the Hakea is probably pollinated by birds or insects, and the Grevillea l)y birds. He also refers to Kerner's guess as to Dryandra being pollinated by kangaroos.
Mr. 0. Sargent has published a paper, "Biological Notes on Acacia cefastrifolia{25). This plant (which Bentham considers a varietv of A. mi/rtifolia), when the racemes open, secretes from the gland on the phyllode at the base of the raceme, a drop of nectar, and continues to do so all tlirough the time of flowering. The Silver-eyes feed upon this. -'Careful examination of a flower- ing-branch shows it to be well adapted for bird-pollination. No hindrance is offered to the bird, as the saucer of nectar stands open beside the inflorescence; yet in sipping the sweet fluid the bird is sure to l)rush against the fluffy blossoms, and have its featliers dusted with pollen. The next flower brushed against will receive some of this pollen on its stigmas."
Mr. Sargent has also been good enough to send me a copy of liis MS. of a paper entitled, "Fragments of Westralian Plant- Biology," which has been accepted for publication by a Botanical Journal. The first part of this paper is concerned with ornitho- phylly. He thinks it probable that the flowers suited for birds have been evolved from entomophilous flowers. The Honey-eaters are aggressive feeders; if the nectar is not easy to get at, they rip the flower open. In that way, the flowers which were best suited to birds may have persisted, and developed, while the others retro- graded. He sets forth certain types of flowers as being suited for bird-pollination, beginning with simple open flowers like those of Nuytsia; the flowers are open, and grow in masses; and birds feed- ing on them, as they do, cannot fail to pollinate the stigmas. Another flower of this type is Xanthorrhcea Preissii, and he has frequently seen small birds drinking the nectar. My son has seen the New Holland Honey-eater feeding on X. haStilis, following the
president's address. 31
spiral of flowers round the spike. But as Mr. Sargent remarks, many insects also visit these. Indeed they are of a type visite<l by all sorts of insects.
The next type is Loranthus linophyllus, a tubular flower. It is visited by Zosterops Gouldi. Next comes Acacia, already referred to, and then Eucalyptus. Mr. Sargent estimates that E. macrn- carpa has 1,400 stamens, and these form a band, one inch wide, and oj inches in circumference. The stigma is less than 1 mm. in diameter, so that the pollen-bearing surface w&s 3,000 times the area of the pollen -receiving surface. In the case of this species, he has not seen birds pollinating it, but has observed E. redunca and £J. caJophylla being visited by Zoslerops Gouldi, and species of Glyciphila. From my knowledge of Eucalypt flower-structure. I should be more inclined to look upon tlie hrush-tongued lories as, to use JMr. Sargent's phrase, the "offlcial" i:>ollinators.
In Beauforlia sparsa, he sees another type, more specialised for birds; and he lias observed that the anthers rub against cheeks, foreheads, and throats. This type reaches furtlier specialisation in Calothaynniis sang'tvineus. In this, the anthers are arranged in bundles, so placed that they press against the heads of the birds (Glyciphila and Zosterops) visiting it. Other flowers mentioned as ornithophilous are AstroJoma diiiaricnta and Bhincoa cdiiescens. Anigozanthos humilis and A. Manglesii, he has not personally seen visited by birds, but his brothers have seen thi?m at the former, and some friends have seen small birds at the latter. I may say that I have repeatedly seen Acanthorhynchus feeding on A. Manglesii in the King's Park in Peith, and I noted their black heads covered with yellow pollen.
Mr. Sargent names three of the Papilionacese as ornithophilous — Tenipletouin retusa, Crotalaria Ctiwidnghtimii, and Clianthns Dampieri.
His last type embraces the Proteaceae, and he mentions Ade- nanthos cuneata, Baiiksi't attenuatn^ B. MeAiziesii, Dryandra fioribunda, and D. carduacea.
Miss Brewster lately read a paper(26) before this Society on bird-pollination in Darwinia fascicular Is. The paper is now
32 president's address.
available to Members, so I need not quote from it. Miss Brewster has done an excellent piece of work, and left little, if anything, for others to glean, except to extend her observations to the other species of the genus.
A little book by Mr. C. Miidd(27) contains a good deal about pollination, some of it very extraordinary, too extraordinary to he taken seriously — as for example the pollination of Dryaiidra !)>■ kangaroos, said to have been observed on the Bine Mountains; and of an orchid by frogs.
In a paper by E. W. Berry(28), on " The Affinities and Dis- tribution of the Lower Eocene Flora of South-Eastern North America, he gives a list of plants, among which are six Proteads in four genera- Palaeodendron, Proteoides, Knightopliyllum, and f^anksia. He also mentions Banksia and Drvandra as l)ein£r found in abundance in the European Tertiary, and that the family enjoyed a nu)re or less cosmopolitan range in the Early Tertiary. The ani;estors of the family, he thinks, probably entered the Australian Region during the Upper Cretaceous, before the country had become entirely separated from Asia, becoming adapted to the peculiar soils and climate of Australia: while the stock in the Northern Hemisphere appears to have been unable to stand the climatic changes, and thus became extinct. Von Ettingsliausen, in his Memoir, republished by the Department of Mines, Sydney(29), described a number of Pro- teads from the Tertiary of Australia. Incidentally, I would like to place upon record my feeling that it is unsafe to identify plants from mere impressions of their leaves. The more plants I know, the more I find that leaves very similar occur in plants belonging to widely separated families, while, on the other hand, plants belonging to the same family, or even the same genus, may have leaves so utterly dissimilar, that T should hesitate, without having seen flowers or fruits, to tliink thev were allied. The differincr types of leaf in Banksia and Hakea are examples of this. But Mr. Deane expressed similar opinions frcmi this Chair long ago, in mucli more convincing terms.
The point I wished to draw attention to is this : that the majority of recent Proteads are bird-pollinated, and specially
president's address. 33
adapted to that. Now were these old Proteads (and notwith- standing what I have said above, I believe that there were archaic Proteads) bird-pollinated, and if so, what were the birds concerned? If an inflorescence of a fossil Banksia is known, it might be easy to say whether it was likely to have been so pollinated. And, in that case, I should like to ask the palieon- tologists whether there ai-e any Tertiary birds known, which would be likely to have been the ancestors of any of the three great groups of pollinators— Humming-birds, Sun-birds, and the Honey-eaters of Australia?
I have said enough to show that the bird-pollination of Aus- tralian flowers is a large and interesting problem awaiting solu- tion in detail. Some of the questions that need answering are the following. Are the colours of the flowers adapted to attract birds? It is generally taken for granted that bird-pollinated flowers are of brilliant colours, mostly reds. But closer acquaint- ance with the habits of the birds leads one to think that the brilliant colours may not be necessary to attract them. Our honey-eaters seem to visit any flower that ofters them a plenti- tude of honey. Again, are the tubular flowers specially adapted to birds with long bills like the Meliphagidae? Here, T think the answer will incline towards the afiirmative, but nevertheless the fact that they go to shallow flowers, like Eucalyptus and Xanthorrhcea, seems to point to the same conclusion— that the shapes of flowers do not matter greatly, if there is abundance of nectar. Are there any other factors that are significant— scent, for example ? These questions can only be finally settled by long- continued observation of the birds and the flowers they frequent.
The next point (or perhaps it should be the first) to be settled is the actual method of pollination. Knuth(8) says: — "It must be the aim of research in pollination to make out the adaptation of all flowers and their pollinators, and this can only be ap- proached if such investigations are systematically carried out, and in as many small and clearly demarcated areas as possible." Now the points regarding adaptation wJiich have to be observed are many. The shape and colour of the corolla, the presence and amount of nectar, the scent, the length and position of the stamens and style, at various stages of anthesis, the time of
3
34 president's address.
maturation of anthers and stigma, and the relation of these stages to the changes of position in those organs. And, in the case of the birds, the presence of grooves on the beak as pollen- receptacles, the presence of modified feathers for the purpose of retaining pollen-grains, the position the bird takes on approach- ing the flower, and on what part of the body it receives and carries pollen; all these points must be made out before it can be said that we know how a flower is pollinated by birds.
To succeed in such an inquiry, the observer must have un- limited time and patience. He may have to sit motionless for a long period near the plant being investigated, till the birds gain confidence and approach the flowers; he must have keen sight and a good pair of field-glasses. He needs to camp out in a selected spot, and to be abroad at dawn, when the birds are beginning to feed; and, in addition, since the most precise in- formation is necessaiy with regard to the bird's size, shape of head and beak, and their relation to the parts of the flower, and can only be seen in the bird in the hand, which is proverbially worth two in the bush, he must, repugnant as it may be to a bird-lover, be prepared to sacrifice the lives of some of the pollinators to settle these questions accurately. Jt is a big piece of work, but it is worth the trouble; and a few earnest investi- gators with suflicient time at their disposal would soon produce results which would be of far greater value than the vague state- ments to be found in most of the papers on bird-pollination. It is not that the interest and importance of the subject are un- recognised, but that favourable conditions for carrying out the necessary investigations have been wanting.
BIBLIOGRAPHY.
(l).WooLLS, Dr. W. — A Contribution to the Flora of Australia.
(2). Mueller, H. — The Fertilisation of Flowers, pp. 15, 215.
(3).SCHIMPER, A. F. W. — Plant Geography, p. 120.
(4). Bates, H. W. — The Naturalist on the River Amazons, p. 97.
(5).Kerner — The Natural History of Plants, p. 225.
(6).MosELEY, H. N. — Notes by a Naturalist on the "Challenger," pp.305,
469, 605. (7). Hancock — American Naturalist, xxviii., p.679. (8).Knuth, p. — Handbook of Flower Pollination, i., p.73. (9).Rii)()WAY — "The Humming Birds," in Smithsonian Report, 1890, (10). Perkins — -Fauna Hawaiiensis, i., p.368 et seq.
(11
(12 (13 (14 (15 (16 (17 (18 (19 (20 (21 (22 (23 (24 (25 (26 (27 (28 (29
president's address. 35
.Beal, W. J.— American Naturalist, xiv.,p. 12; pp. 362-3(33; xv.,p.26o.
.Scott, Elliot— Ann. Bot., 1890-91.
.Stoneman, Bertha — South African Plants and their Ways.
.Darwin, C. — Cross and .Self Fertilisation of Plants, p. 371.
.Wallace, A. R. — Darwinism, p. 321.
.Thomson, G. M. — Trans. N.Z. Inst., xiii., p.258.
.Kirk, T. — Forest Flora of New Zealand, pp.54, 302.
.Petrie — Trans. N.Z. Inst., xxxv., xxxvii., p.409.
.Lainc; and Blackwell — Plants of New Zealand.
.Hamilton, A. G. — Report Aust. Asscn. Adv. Sci., vii.
, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, xxxiii.
.HoLTZE, N. — Report Aust. Asscn. Adv. Sci., vii., p. 566. .Shirley, J. — Report Aust. Asscn. Adv. Sci., vii., p. 569. .Trelease, W. — Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., xxi., p.416. .Sargent, 0.— Proc. Nat. Hist. Soc. W.A., 1907. .Brewster, A. A. — Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, xl. .MuDD, C. — Whys and Ways of the Bush. .Berry, E. W. — Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc, liii.
.Von Ettingshausen, C. — Contributions to the Tertiary Flora of Australia.
Mr. J. H. Campbell, Hon. Treasurer, presented the balance sheet for the year 1915, duly signed by the Auditor, Mr. F. H. Rayment, F.C.P.A., Incorporated Accountant; and he moved that it be received and adopted, which was carried unanimously. Abstract: General Account, Balance from 1914, £531 13s. 4d.; income, £1,164 8s. 8d.; expenditure, £912 8s. lOd.; transfer to Bookbinding account, £5 5s. Od.; balance to 1916, £778 8s. 2d. Bacteriology Account, Income, £527 17s. 6d.; expenditure, £535 7s. 2d.; debit balance to 1916, £25 19s. 9d. Linnean Macleay Fellowships Account, Income, £2,027 15s. 3d.; ex- penditure, £1,598 17s. Od. (nicluding £97 2s. Od. for publication of Fellows' contributions to the Proceedings) ; transfer to Capital account, £428 18s. 3d.
No valid nominations of other Candidates having been received, the President declared the following elections for the Current Session to be duly made: — President: Mr. A. G. Hamilton. Members of Council (to fill six vacancies): — Messrs. R. H. Cambage, F.L.8., J. H. Campbell, H. G. Chapman, M.D., B.Sc, J. B. Cleland, M.l)., T. Storie Dixson, M.B., Ch.M., and A. F. Basset Hull. Auditor: Mr. F. H. Rayment, F.C.P.A.
On the motion of Dr. S. J. Johnston, a very cordial vote of thanks to the President, was carried by acclamation.
36
ir
|
^i |
Oi |
|
|
3 |
0) |
|
|
tJ |
&^ |
|
|
^ |
2; o |
|
|
o |
p |
|
|
O |
D <1 |
■p CQ |
|
J |
CO |
|
|
=y« |
<1 |
+3 |
|
+-» |
-p |
|
|
o |
0) CQ |
|
|
m |
0) a |
|
|
«^ |
pq |
J55
V
$: j:
|
o |
o |
= |
o |
O |
in |
Ov ' |
IN |
||||
|
■TJ |
o |
o o o |
O |
o rH |
rH |
rH |
|||||
|
sa |
' |
||||||||||
|
o |
o o o |
o |
•^ |
o |
W 1 |
||||||
|
o |
o o o |
o |
CO |
OJ |
>a |
||||||
|
to |
O O «D |
l> |
CO |
lO |
«5 |
||||||
|
<y |
T-i |
^ CO |
rH |
o |
|||||||
|
^ |
|||||||||||
|
OQ |
|||||||||||
|
>. |
!25 |
||||||||||
|
ClQ |
«H |
||||||||||
|
«M |
o |
||||||||||
|
aj |
o |
X |
|||||||||
|
03 |
!/ |
! |
6 o |
a |
|||||||
|
*5l |
be |
03 |
|||||||||
|
IS) |
be |
||||||||||
|
|C |
cS |
• 1-1 |
|||||||||
|
'c |
CO S |
pq |
02 |
||||||||
|
■a |
; i§ |
1 — 1 |
+5 |
||||||||
|
4 |
• • |
G u |
4^ |
||||||||
|
> |
03 c 4J |
War Loa N.S.W. T Loans on |
'S 4. £ |
1-^ |
B > |
||||||
|
4 'Z |
a; |
to ^ |
o C |
||||||||
|
c |
c |
cS |
|||||||||
|
a |
! h— 1 |
O |
|||||||||
|
nS |
o o |
O c |
C\ |
! |
M |
||||||
|
M |
o o o o o o |
o «: |
) |
rH |
|||||||
|
tj |
I- |
||||||||||
|
;£ : |
Crt |
||||||||||
|
r— ( |
'^§ |
7- |
|||||||||
|
m |
c |
!i |
a |
||||||||
|
a |
t? |
^ |
S- |
||||||||
|
Eh M |
be |
4 |
|||||||||
|
a |
>'E |
• Q |
F |
||||||||
|
n |
■ 3 |
t: |
4 |
||||||||
|
t-H Hi |
'a c 4 |
41 |
4 4 |
||||||||
|
+■ |
. 4> ^ |
4 |
1— |
||||||||
|
c |
< |
■*-♦- p |
|||||||||
|
< |
U |
Sum 0, le |
b |
< |
|||||||
|
• iH |
6 ■=> |
'C |
|||||||||
|
il |
5 ;h o ;: 5 =« |
4 |
|||||||||
|
+- |
c |
||||||||||
|
^ |
fH |
c |
c |
||||||||
|
7 |
3 |
3 |
c |
||||||||
|
C |
; |
H |
p: |
►^ |
II |
u
4)
03
0)
Ed
CQ
< o
W
1-5
'73 4) U
T3 O
U
03 O
3 ^
v> 'O
tS 6 S 2 P^ S
o o
rt
|
H |
|
|
^ |
;h |
|
H |
cs |
|
;g |
? |
|
w |
.o |
|
■«i |
41 |
4J Ph
c3
;»
25
37
at
to
a
a
o o o
Q
■p to
CO
-d d «
ei O
>>
O O
o
o o
|
-a -^i |
c |
c |
Ci |
»-l |
c |
o |
|||||||||
|
tH |
|||||||||||||||
|
CO CO »0 1/5 Oi 00 O |
w |
||||||||||||||
|
r-( r-l rH |
|||||||||||||||
|
iH O »0 tH r-l to |
«o |
||||||||||||||
|
«« CO CO o O t-( |
05 |
||||||||||||||
|
Irt ^ C. r-t |
r-T |
||||||||||||||
|
'O o c o |
. . 1 m . . |
=« |
|||||||||||||
|
o o . |
|||||||||||||||
|
(M |
|||||||||||||||
|
01 50 !£> C>1 |
c^*^ • |
||||||||||||||
|
1-1 tH |
=« o . |
||||||||||||||
|
T-l ^ CO |
°o ■ |
||||||||||||||
|
Crt w th |
|||||||||||||||
|
I-l |
«^ * |
||||||||||||||
|
o,-^ |
|||||||||||||||
|
: 0 "^ |
|||||||||||||||
|
\ |
|||||||||||||||
|
• S 2 *< |
< |
||||||||||||||
|
Oi |
« fcc-c |
o |
|||||||||||||
|
^ 1 |
tap |
.2 |
|||||||||||||
|
nee from ;criptions- 1 r. . . . . |
7 a |
< -J « ,•/■ aj CC |
0; -*- O |
||||||||||||
|
Mm lil^o!} M |
|||||||||||||||
|
>5 - - :: • |
|||||||||||||||
|
pq - ' ' • |
|||||||||||||||
|
T^ O ^ 7> |
05 O 5M |
c |
|||||||||||||
|
r-i |
|||||||||||||||
|
01 Ol r-l t> |
O O OC |
?! |
|||||||||||||
|
uo O i-l |
•^ to oc |
^ |
|||||||||||||
|
ert o «n CO |
to t^ |
o> |
|||||||||||||
|
-*< CO |
t- |
||||||||||||||
|
'T3 o in |
O Oi |
o c c o «o |
-f rt c |
• |
crt |
||||||||||
|
1—1 |
|||||||||||||||
|
to »n o |
OS t- |
c 0-5 c «n i^ |
■* O C |
||||||||||||
|
tH |
i-l |
iH iH r-l |
|||||||||||||
|
iH OO |
CO t- |
1—1 ?>. r-» rH eo |
*** iH « |
||||||||||||
|
«« «> t- |
(M |
07 ,H |
|||||||||||||
|
(M |
|||||||||||||||
|
' • |
: a : : : |
||||||||||||||
|
■ EC |
S «! |
. o • |
|||||||||||||
|
. o |
• cc • o • |
||||||||||||||
|
c3 (In -^ iL, 01 : ^ C T, |
aj »I fi |
7^ 0. c |
c |
6 < >- ■CCr- |
|||||||||||
|
^^s |
e 01 u ? >^'~^+- . i ..5 w-t- 5 ce oj 2 |
2i ^ |
1- |
||||||||||||
|
••: r -5 ? rt a ^ - |
T3 ^ |
||||||||||||||
|
cs^s ^c c ^ »5 ~*^ |
0; c3 .■;: |
O Oj |
|||||||||||||
|
03^^ ^-1 p., P, <, <r^ |
HMh: |
pqW |
|||||||||||||
|
0-- r.- - - - »- |
•s » |
^ ^ |
|||||||||||||
|
jH ' ' " . > .- |
II |
ss
|
T3 |
o a> |
|
to |
o o |
|
=rt |
o w 05 |
CO
CO H
02 OQ
o •
m
^ CO
^^
S^^
s«
o
o
o o
o o
o o o o
to 05
CO
M
H
M M
(In ;
rQ CO •
'zi ^ ■ vs •
•^ o .
"S ^^ •
O) ^
&=« 4> ' •
,0 >J • C3 Q di O
+J — ys
3
o
01 CO
o o ->- o
0;
U li
|
0 01 |
05 |
|
|
0 05 |
05 |
|
|
i-( |
iH |
|
|
0 10 |
>o |
|
|
0 a |
CQ |
|
|
05 |
O) |
|
|
CO |
co" |
|
|
r-l |
tH |
|
|
=« |
«rt |
io
<v
a;
ca!
rt
-i :: o ;h
o
'OD
C
a
'5
c g o
10
0>
«
a
o
o o
Q
+s CQ
iH
CO
-d o
•d
fl o
u ci o
a: & o o o
o o
'O N
«! •*
CO Oi
CO
t3
CO
o
o
00
O CO
. . O U
tc • Oh
C
(D . m
0 -^^
-2 ..S2
01
o
"5 cM
^_ .r-| a)
a P 0)
OQ
o
u o
OS
o
a
^t-iOOI-Ct-i050000
»JOOOOt001t'-C5o>^0
0DO;DOr-la0r-IOO'-l=0 ^ i-t Tfi rH lO
i
CO
o C
CO
o
y; ;,
O
C3 a; CC _ CC ^ ?-( n^ ^
i2 J5
w
.2 be
a s <^
J3 .fi f^
cC G CO i£ '* S
cS c3 ^
as c
a o •42 i^i o ft o
ft
o
39
|
-^ |
o o |
o |
i> |
|
■f) |
o o |
o |
|
|
•■*l |
O '.-5 n 1-. |
||
|
T-! l- |
(7> |
or.:
CO H
m
CO
o
CJD
0) CX) 'E O
i2 IS r^ £
^ ^
O 5
m
X <• ^ -r-^
■f.
CI
o o
o
CO CO
to
ci'
01
2i fo
.rt o
." O
00 w
0^ '■T
-— C3
■Ji
s ^
O i>
'oc
C3 " O a:
o>: cs i i = t; i^ -^ z-^ •/. S, —
|
t> O |
t- |
|
|
M fO tH |
to |
|
|
O O O O |
o 00 |
|
|
0* |
c
|
t: M |
M |
||||
|
2J |
T— 1 l- |
O |
|||
|
« |
|||||
|
id |
|||||
|
«-i |
|||||
|
0) |
M -^J |
||||
|
*S |
s |
||||
|
»4 0) |
a |
||||
|
,Q |
X |
||||
|
a |
9 |
||||
|
r" |
|||||
|
d> |
a |
||||
|
Q |
o |
||||
|
•p |
|||||
|
CO |
a; |
||||
|
l-t |
^1 |
||||
|
CO |
|||||
|
•0 |
|||||
|
o |
|||||
|
-a |
|||||
|
d) |
|||||
|
• |
|||||
|
^ |
'U o c |
c |
fO |
CO |
|
|
a |
|||||
|
« |
C« C (M |
ir |
00 |
o |
|
|
t»» |
r- |
iH |
7— i |
||
|
^ |
O l- |
T— |
00 |
t- |
|
|
woo |
CI |
M |
|||
|
LO |
-t |
O |
|||
|
iH |
N |
||||
|
t3 |
OJ . |
ert |
|||
|
o |
fe ■ |
. |
|||
|
o < |
|||||
|
m |
^."^ |
-*^ |
|||
|
o |
c |
^ re |
|||
|
o |
o |
||||
|
iz; |
c |
+- |
|||
|
M |
|||||
|
+- |
^^ |
||||
|
^ ot |
(U |
||||
|
i p |
^ |
'H |
|||
|
r |
|||||
|
" 0- |
|||||
|
5 5 |
c |
||||
|
r- |
tc |
||||
|
•fH-e |
^ |
' ?^ |
|||
|
a |
|||||
|
T O |
4- |
||||
|
re -1- |
*^ |
c |
|||
|
, |
s c |
;; |
^ |
||
|
a« |
X -^ |
■<f |
<; |
||
|
a |
o . |
■ : |
re
0)
C o
W
o
|
o |
Fh |
>- |
|
u |
K |
|
|
r— |
W |
re |
|
c |
r^ |
- |
|
o |
1^ |
OJ |
|
fQ |
||
|
re |
K |
00 |
|
n |
t |
r-i |
|
a |
1^ |
|
|
C |
;^ |
|
|
E |
^ |
|
|
re |
-t: |
|
|
y. |
^ |
|
|
K |
-^ |
40
ORDINARY MONTHLY MEETING.
March 29th, 1916.
Mr. A. G. Hamilton, President, in the Chair.
The Donations and Exchanges received since the previous Monthly Meeting (24th November, 1915), amounting to 28 Vols., 231 Parts or Nos., 40 Bulletins, 9 Reports, and 25 Pamphlets, received from 89 Societies, etc., and four private donors, were laid upon the table.
41
STUDIE8 IN AUSTRALIAN NEUROPTERA.
No. ii. Descriptions of new Genera and .Species of the Families Osmylid.h, MvmtELEONTiD.i-:, and Ascalapiiida:.
By R. J. TiLLYARD, M.A., B.Sc, F.L.S., F.E.S., Linnean Macleay Fellow of the Society in Zoolooy.
(Plates i.-vi., and three Text-figs.)
The material on which this paper is based is mainly drawn from my own collection, but has been gathered together by the kindness and energy of many correspondents rather than by myself. These larger Neuroptera are not generally to be taken in ".ny numbers, as are the Odonata; and the gathering together of the material necessary for their study must be spread over a large number of years and carried on by a number of collectors. Particularly must this be so when, as in the case of the Myrrae- leontidoi, the majority of species are not to be found in the well- watered coastal regions, but are confined to the more arid regions of the interior. Thus it would seem that Broken Hill, N.S.W., with a rainfall of less than ten inches, is particularly rich in these insects, and the largest number of new species must be credited to the energy of Mr. O. B. Lower, F.E.S., my valued correspondent in this locality. Almost equally rich is the dry, sandy region of Western Australia, and even the coastal portion of that State po.ssesses a large number of fine species. From Mr. W. B. Alexander, F.E.S., Keeper of Biology in the W.A. Museum, Perth, I have received, for study, a small collection of Neuroptera containing some fine species; the types of the new- species of this collection are in the West Australian Museum, and the descriptions are included in this paper. Other small collections of Neuroptera have been sent to me by Mr. G. F. Berthoud, of Waroona, W.A., Mr. G. A. Waterhouse, B.E , B.Sc,
42 STUDIES IN AUSTRALIAN NEUROPTERA, ii.,
F.E S., of Sydney, Mr. E. Allen, of Emerald, Q., Dr. A. J. Turner, F.E.S., of Sherwood, Brisbane, Q., and Mr. Rowland E. Turner, of London, (from Yallingup, W.A.). To all of these, I offer my sincere thanks for the valuable specimens received, without which my collection would still be a very poor one indeed.
Id this paper, eighteen species are proposed as new. One of these belongs to the family Osmylidoi, one to the Ascalaphidce, and the remaining seventeen to the Myrmeleonlid'e. This latter family offers considerable difficulty to the Australian systematist, chieHy because of the paucity of literature, the inaccessibility of the types of the species already described (mostly by Walker, Gerstaecker, and Banks), and also partly because of the close resemblance between many of the forms. I desire, therefore, to express my thanks to my friend, Mr. Esben Petersen, of SilUe- borg, Denmark, for giving me his valuable opinion on a number of the forms described in this paper, and also for his excellent generic table, recently published in these Proceedings (1915, Vol. xl., Part 1, pp.56-57), which I found of the greatest help, particularly in assigning positions to a number of new genera.
Four genera are proposed as new. No attempt has been made to break up the complex genera Glenoleon, FonnicaUou, or Acan- thaclisis, though Alloformicaleoii Esb.-Pet., has been accepted as a valid genus. A new division of the subfamily Dendroleontince into three tribes has been proposed, based on venational and phylogenetic considerations.
The following is a list of the genera and species dealt with in this paper : —
Family OSMYLID^.
EuPORiSMUS, n.g. (Type, E. albatrox, n.sp.)
1. Etiporisrmis albatrox, n.sp.
Family MYRMELEONTID^.
Subfamily DENDROLEONTIN.E. Tribe ProtopIectPini, trib.nov.
2. Protoplectron longitudinale, n.sp.
3. Protoplectron ereniitx^ n.sp.
BY R. J. TILLYAKD. 43
Tribe UendPOleontini, tiih.nov.
4. Peridystus aureo/afus, n.sp.
5. Dendroleoa lambda^ n.sp.
6. Dendroleon dwuiyaui, n.sp.
7. Gleiioleoii bertnoii'li, n.sp.
8. Glenoleoii aurora, n.sp.
9. Glenoleoii roseipewiis, n.sp.
Tribe Distoleontini, trib.nov.
10. Gi/mnocueniia macnlata, n.sp.
Brachyleon, n.g. [Type, B. darnnni (Banks)].
11. Brachyleon darwini (Banks).
Stevoleon, n.g. (Type, S. fieldi, n.sp.).
12. Stenoleo7i fleldi, n.sp.
Xantholeon, n.g. (Type, X. helmsi, n.sp.).
13. Xantholeon hehnsi, n.sp.
14. Allofo7'micaleon hyalitius, n.sp.
15. Alio for micaleon. walerhousei, n.sp.
16. Distoleon nigrosignatus, n.sp.
Subfamily MYRMELEONTIN.E.
17. Myrmeleon loweri, n.sp.
18. Acanthaclisis peterseni, n.sp.
. Family ASCALAPHID^. Subfamily PROTASCALAPHIN.E.
19. Stilbopteryx dromedaria, n.sp.
Family OSMYLID^.
EupoRisMUS, n.g.
Allied to Porismus, from which it differs as follows : wings longer, narrower in proportion, with the tips not broadly rounded but somewhat pointed, slightly falcate. Colour-pattern black and white. Rs close to and parallel with R (in Porismus, Rs diverges from R for about two-fifths of the wing-length, and then converges towards it apically). Branches of Rs very numerous^ closely arranged, almost straight, and nearly parallel (in Porismus
44 STUDIES IN AUSTRALIAN NEUROPTKRA, ii.
they are fewer, wider apart, and less regular). Towards apex of wing, a set of cross-veins forms a distinct, curved line running across the wing from M to pterostigma, separating off an internal "disc" from a distinct apical portion, which carries only closely parallel, longitudinal veins (cf. Psi/chopsis); in Porismns, this line is absent. Four anal veins present, as in Porismus. hut 2A and 3A stand further from the posterior border, and the cross- veins arising from them are longer and more numerous than in Porismus.
Genotype, Euporisnius albatrox, u sp.
This genus may be placed as intermediate between Porismns and Oedosmylas; for, while it resembles the former in the strong branching of Ou, and in the dense wing-pigmentation, it ap- proaches the latter in the shape of the wings, and in the pos- session of the apical line of cross-veins.
It is interesting to note that a fossil insect-wing, closely re- sembling the hind- wing of F. albatro.c, has recently been dis- covered in sandstone-rock at Goodna, near Ipswich, Q This rock is supposed to have come from a Tertiary deposit (? Eocene) overlying the Trias-Jura rocks of the Ipswich Coal- Measures.
I.EUPORISMUS ALBATROX, n.Sp. (PI i., fig.l).
Total length 16'5, abdomen 9'5, forewing 30, hindwing "iSmra.
Head very small, 25 mm. wide; e^yes dark olive-brown; the three ocelli large, black, the median one very distinctly double; epicranium black, antennce 11 mm., slender, black, basal joint twice as long and thick as the second; lahnim and moiUhparts shiny brown.
Thorax : prothorax Iwmm., elongate, slender, orange-brown. Pterothorax orange brown, marked with black in the sutures, especially along the middle line; wing-bases blackish. Legs black, fore- and middle-legs short, hind-legs long.
Abdomen short, of medium width, dark grey above, marked with numerous, orange-brown spots; underside orange-brown, especially at apex.
Wings: venation very close and abundant. Costal border of forewing strongly arched near base; costal space wide near
BY R. J. TILLYARD. 46
base, gradually tapering towards pterostigraa. All four wings strongly curved towards tips, which end in a slight point; the posterior margin being very slightly hollowed out towards the tip, the wings have a slightly falcate appearance. Colouration : forewing richly mottled with black and white, the former colour due to pigment, the latter to a very close arrangement of numerous, parallel, white veins. Costal space irregularly blotched with black patches, separated by hyaline spaces crossed by white veins. In the pterostigmatic region, and extending nearly to tip of wing, is a large, subtri- angular, white patch, the curved wing-border forming its base, while its apex is directed pusteriad and forms an angle a little greater than a right-angle. On this patch, two small black spots interrupt the white wing-border. The rest of the wing is very irregularly and heavily marked with black. Hindwing nearly all hyaline in its basal half; then follows a large, irregular, black blotch right across the wing before the level of the pterostigma, but somewhat interrupted between M and Cu distally; beyond this, covering the pterostigma and all the apical part of the wing except the extreme tip, is a whitish patch, larger and more irregular than the corresponding patch in the forewing. [In the dead insect, the black wing-pigment fades gradually to a dark, semi-transparent brownish, as in Poristmis strigatus\.
Hah. — Head of Condamine lliver, near Killarney, Q. Very rare. Mr. E. J. Dumigan captured, in January, 1914, four specimens sitting on the large rocks of the river-bed.
Type in Coll. Tillyard. (E. J. Dumigan; January 8th, 1914). Of the remaining three, one has been placed in Mr. Esben Petersen's collection, another in that of Mr Nathan Banks, and the third remains in my collection.
Family MYHMELEONTIDiE.
Subfamily DENDROLEONTIN.E.
This sul)fainily was formed by N. Banks to include all those genera in which there is only a single cross-vein in the radial space of die hindwing, before the origin of the radial sector. As
46 STUDIES m AUSTRALIAN KEUROPTERA, ii.,
this character is based essentially on the archaic position of Rs, viz., originating from R close to the wing-base, it seems to me an excellent character for tlie main subdivision of the family, and marks off the large complex of forms included in the Deiidroleon- tiiKH (to which the great majority of our Australian species belong) as definitely more archaic than the My rmeleontince, in which the radial sector of the hindwing has progressed much further along R.
In subdividing the mass of forms in the Dendrn/eontinrc, it seems to me that too much stress has been laid on the presence or absence of tibial spines. In the dichotomous tallies so far published by Banks and Petersen, this character is used for effecting the main dichotomy, and only later are venational characters brought into play. Now, I would urge an alteration of this procedure for two reasons; firstly, because it seems pro- bable that some forms, at least, that lack spurs (if not all) did originally possess them,* and are really closely related to those forms (e.g., Glenoleon) which possess very short spurs, hut which, on the present method of dichotomy, are driven right to the other end of the table; and secondly, because the wing-venation, particularly of the forewing, offers us more important and better understood characters, and a far better chance of making natural divisions. I would propose that, in no ca.se, sh(juld the absence, or (if present) the size of the spurs be used for divisions greater than of generic value, since we cannot ignore the strong pro- bability of convergent reductions of these organs in widely separated groups.
Turning, then, to the venation of the forewing, we can select, without hesitation, as a natural group, those peculiar genera in which Cuj runs parallel with Cuj -I- h\., for a considerable distance. This is clearly an archaic character, carried over without change from Nyniphid-sLUcestors. These genera form a distinct tribe, which I propose to name I'rotoplectrini. This tribe is represented
* The presence of these spurs almost universally in the Neuroptera, Triflioptera. Lepidoptera. and Meeopteia is a fact that cannot lie ignored in our attempts at classification.
BY R. J. TILLYARD. i f
in Australia by the two genera, Protoplectron and Pseudo/ormica- leon, two genera which may be compared respectively with Acanthadisis and Myrmeleon in the subfamily Myrmeleontinm. The African genus Creagis would also appear to belong to this ancient group.
It appears that the position of the cubital fork has remained fixed, throughout the evolutionary development of the subfamily, at a point about one fourth of the wing-length from the base. This is, therefore, a satisfactory Jixed level from which we can observe the evolution of the radial sector in the forewing. This, as might be expected, has followed the same lines as in the hind- wing, i.e., gradual removal of its point of origin on R, from a point close to the base of the wing to a position further and further distad. Thus, just as the DendroJeontAnn' are, as a whole, more archaic than the Myrmeleont'm(t>, on account of the position of the origin of Rs in the hindiving, so we may now select, from amongst the Dendrohontince themselves, those more archaic genera in which the same holds good for the forenjing. This tribe, to which I give the name Dendroleontini, includes, then, all genera in which Cu., does not run parallel with Cu, -f M., and having the origin of Rs in the forewing before the level of the cubital fork. This tribe contains a large number of genera, of which the Australian representatives are Dendroleov, Ghnoleon, Froggattisca (an asthenic offshoot of Glenoleon), Peridystus, and Chrysohon.
Finally, we may group together those genera in which the origin of Rs, in the forewing, has become shifted to a level either exactly above, or distad from, that of the cubital fork, as the tribe Disfoleontini. The connecting-link with the Dendroleon- tini is not wanting, since the genus Gymnocnemia has the origin of Rs exactly above the cubital fork. But as, in other respects, this genus appears to belong rather to the Disfoleontini than the Dendroleontini, it seems advisable to include it here rather than to separate it out as an intermediate tribe. The Dendroleontini^ then, also contain a large number of genera, of which the Aus- tralian representatives are Gymnocnemia, Jh-achyleon, n.g.,>Steno- lean, n.g., Xantholeou, n.g., Macronemnrus, Formlcaleon, Alio-
48
STUDIES IN AUSTRALIAN NEUROPTERA, 11.,
formicaleon, and Distoleon. The phylogeny of these three tribes may be exhibited thus : —
Myrnieleontinje
2^ l/niph id -like Ancestor.
Piotoplectrini
Dendroleontini
a o
C
Uistoleontini J Q
In this diagram, I have not attempted to show the ramifica- tions of the subfamily MyrmeleoutiiuH, whose headquarters lie quite outside Australia.
Tribe Ppotopleetplnl.
In forewing, Cu runs parallel with Cu, + M„ for some distance. Genus P r o t o p l e c t r o n Gerst. 2. Pkotoplectron longitudinale, n.sp. (PI. ii., fig. 5).
Total length 30, abdomen 23'5, forewing 41oxl05 wide, hind wing 39 5 x 9 mm wide.
Head: epicranium blackish, with two, small, brown spots on occipital ridge near eyes; eyes black, touched with grey above; antenufP 9 mm., greyish-brown, ringed with black; face and mouth-parts pale, shiny orange-brown.
Thorax: prothorax short, 3'5 x 2*5 mm., downy, grey, with two, longitudinal, dorsal, blackish stripes. Frothorax grey, downy, with darker markings, a small but distinct, white spot close to base of each forewing; underside with soft, pale grey hairs. Le<js rather short, stout; femora brown, with black stripes, and long, soft, grey hairs, also a few, stifler, black hairs; tibiae similarly marked, with several, large, stiff, black hairs; first joint of tarsi very long, 2nd-4th short, 5th long, all blackish, claws brown; tibial spines long, reaching to end of first tarsal joint.
- BY R. J. TILLYAKD. 49
A b d oin e n fairly stout, uniformly shiny dark grey, with pale grey, downy hairs.
Wings: neuration grey-brown, So speckled. In forewing, along 11 up to pterostigma is a series of very narrow, blackish markings encroaching slightly into sul>costal space: pterostigma l)lackish, covering 7-8 veinlets, all but three of them forked dis- tallv. Along Cuj + M^ runs a thick, somewhat sinuous, longi- tudinal, black band, continued distally across M, to tip of wing. Hind wing without markings, pterostigma weakly indicated by a brownish patch.
Hab. —Western Australia; also Broken Hill, N.S.W. (O. Lower).
Type in Coll. West Australian Museum. Label " H. 22," indicating that it was collected by Mr. G. H. Hardy, now of the Tasmanian Museum, Hobart. No date or locality-label.
The Broken Hill specimen was unfortunately badly damaged in the post; only a small piece of the thorax, and the two wings of tiie right side, hanging by a thread, remain.
This rare species superficially resembles the commoner Dislo- leoii nigrosu/natns, irom which, however, it can be distinguished at sight bv the fact that the lonoitudinal, black mark is single and continuous, whereas, in Z>. niyrosignatus, it is bi'oken into two. parts. The venations of the two species are, of course, quite distinct. It is somewhat remarkable that there should be, in a small collection of Western Australian forms, representatives of three genera {Protoplectron, Distoleoti, Glenoleon) having this unique development of a longitudinal, black line in the forewing, while, in a fourth {Duadroleon), there is also a considerable development of black pigment.
3. Photoplectrox eremi^, n.sp. (PI. ii.. fig. 4).
Total length 19, abdomen 13, forewing 24*5, hiudwing 23mm.
Head: epicranium grey, with black markings behind and a touch of brown in front; eyes dark grey; antennve 6mm., grejush; face orange-brown, mouth-parts blackish.
Thorax grey-brown with blackish markings; on prothorax, two, parallel, longitudinal, blackish bands. Leys greyish, very short and thick, hairy.
50 STUDIES IN AUSTRALIAN NEUflOPTERA, ii.,
Abdomen grey-black, smooth above, sides with numerous, fine, grey hairs; a fine, transverse, brown line at apex of seg- ments 4-8.
Wings rather narrow and pointed. Venation of forewing speckled black and white, likewise Sc in hindwing, rest of vena- tion of that wing blackish. In forewing, the pterostigma has a strongly-marked, black, proximal patch: in hindwing, only a very slight touch of black along R. Hindwing hyaline, forewing much marked with small, blackish spots and patches, especially along R, Cuj -f Mo and the branch of Rs next but one above M^: many cross-veins and dichotomous forkings also touched with black.
//a6. — Broken Hill, N.S.W. A single specimen taken by Mr. O. Lower; November 11th, 1902.
Type in Coll. Tillyard. Unique.
Closely allied to Pr. venustnm Gerst., from which it can be at once distinguished by its shorter wings, shorter and stouter abdomen, and by the lack of the strikingly beautiful effect of the pattern of the forewing, from which Gerstaecker's species re- ceived its name Pr. erem'u^'iH possibly a dwarfed, inland species geminate with P. venustnm, \Vhich appears to be confined to the coastal strip and eastern river- valleys.
Tribe Dendpoleontinl. In forewing, Cu., bends sharply away from Cu, -|- Mj. Ks arises at a level proximal to that of the cubital fork.
Genus Periclystus Gerst. 4. Periclystus aureolatus, n.sp. (PI. ii., fig. 3).
Total length about 19 (tip of abdomen bent under), forewing 26'5 by 7"5 wide, hindwing 24'5 x 5nnn.
Head orange-brown, except for a black area between the eyes, isolating two orange spots, one at base of each antenna; eyes black, shining; antenna', short, 3 mm., brownish at base, shading to I'eddish at tips.
Thorax orange-brown above, with black marks in the suture, and touches of black near the wing-bases: underside
BY R. J. TILLYARD. 51
shining black, with small, but conspicuous, orange-brown spots. Legs : fore and middle moderate, hind very long, black, spotted with orange as follows base and apex of femora, base of tibife and a small spot about Imm.distad from it; basal joint of tarsus orange, second brownish, third blackish, fourth brownish, fifth orange-brown, blackish distally, claws brownish; tibial spurs as long as first two tarsal joints.
Abdomen (somewhat shrivelled and bent) fairly slender, banded transversely with alternate orange and black, the black predominating distally, the orange being reduced to small spots; tip broadly truncate, orange, with short, black, hairy appendages.
Wings: posterior border of forewing twice angulated, onqe near middle of wing, very obtusely [middle posterior anyle) and once more distally (angle of the falcate border); the part of the border between this angle and the apex (falcate border) is very slio-htly hollowed out, so that the wing is slightly falcate. In the hind wing, there is only one posterior angle, the border between it and the apex being irregularly waved.
Costa pale brownish, all other veins whitish. Forewing beautifully marked with numerous, irregular spots, some .serai- transparent orange, some dark brown or black, and others dark brown with golden centres; base slightly saffroned for about 3 mm. These spots are arranged as follows— along 8c and R, nine spots, three, small, basal ones, then a larger, blackish, sub- rectangular one 6 ram. from base; 3 mm. further on, a similar but slightly smaller spot; 2 mm. further on, a slightly larger spot, dark brown with orange-gold centre; 2-5 mm. further on, a similar but narrower spot; a similar but more rounded spot sur- rounding the radial brace; between these two last, a small rect- angular spot with golden centre. All these spots just touch 8c from below, but they lie, on the whole, well below R. Ptero- stigma marked by an opaque, whitish, oval area surrounding a small dark brown spot, also a somewhat concentric, blackish spot between this and the last of tlie I'ow of radial spots. Between R and Rs near apex, there are two, small, dark, squarish spots, with orange-gold centres. Along Cuj + M.,, touching M, from below, are four, orange-gold spots touched posteriorly with brown,
52
STUDIES IK AUSTRALIAN NEUROPTERA, ii.,
followed by a dark brown spot, above which, slightly proxiraad, lies a small, brown spot. In the cubital space, there are four, elongated, narrow, blackish spots. At the apex of the wing, is a large, irregular, transparent, orange blotch: a smaller blotch runs in from the wing-border between this and the pterostigma, and below it is a small, squarish, brown spot with a pale orange centre-point. From the apex towards the angle of the falcate border, lie four, transparent, orange blotches, with three, irregularly placed, brownish spots lying proximad to them. Along posterior margin of wing, a large, irregular, trapezoidal, orange blotch occupies the middle, posterior angle, and is touched above by black; half-way between this and the wing-base, is a smaller, oval spot of the same colour.
The hind wing shows very few markings, all distally placed, and of a uniform brown, except for three, minute spots along Sc + R. A large, reniform spot overlies R and Rs at level of the angle of the falcate border, which itself is filled with a larger and more irregular blotch. Pterostigma whitish, opaque, with two, small spots near it. A rounded spot at apex, and two, elongated marks on the falcate border complete the markings.
Hah. — Cunderdin, W.A. A unique specimen, apparently a male, but the abdomen is somewhat shrivelled.
Type in Coll. West Australian Museum, Perth. Museum label No. 6972; no date.
This very beautiful insect is at once distinguished from the other two spt^cies of the genus by its small size, and by the beautiful and bizarre effect of its colouration, which suggests a stained-glass window in old gold. It appears to be more closely related to P. laceratus Gerst., than to the better known /*. circidter Walker, owing to a closer similarity in the scheme of wing-markings. From both these species, it differs in having the forewing much less falcate.
(ilenus D K N I) R o L E o N Brauer. 5. Dexdrolron lambda, n.sp. (Pl.iii., fig.7). Total length (ab<lomen broken off") about 'JO mm., forewing 21, hind wing 19 "5 mm.
BY R. J. TILLYARD. 53
Head small, fpicrajiium gvey-hrown, with a pale line in front between the eyes; eyes black; (mtf.nnfe T) min., brownish, ending in a large, black, siibtriangular knob: la/n-iim and Diouth-parts ricli brown.
Thorax greyisli-brown. fjf'ijs with l)lackish femora, tibiae brown tipped witli black, tarsi Ijrown; tibial spins curved, reach- ing to middle of second tarsal joint.
Abdomen [broken oft' at 3rd segment] appears to have been dull grey with fulvous blotches.
Wings: venation dark brown. Forewings with beautiful black or dark Ijrown markings as follows - an elongated basal patch along costal space, crossing He and R and reaching Mj dis- tally; across wing, obliquely near middle, there runs an irregular mark resembling the Greek A (lambda), but with its apex some what blurred and swollen; on the pterostigmatic area is a large, elongated, triangular blotcli, followed <listal]y by a slender, longi- tudinal mark for about 2 mm.; fi-om posterior border, below pterostigma, there runs obliquely upwards towards the tip, aci"OSS the ends of M., and M,, a dark l)and, bent in the middle, about 4 mm. long. Small spots and specks shade the bases of many of the cross-veins. Hind wings with irregular blotchings between Sc and R in basal half; about two-thirds of the way along the wing, an irregular patch covers both 8c and R, while a small patch lies on the pterostigma; on the posterior margin, just below the end of Cuj + M.,, lies a fainter, smoky patch.
Hab. — Harvey, W.A. January, 1912. Unique.
Type in Coll. West Australian Museum. Museum No.6601.
This very beautiful little insect is very distinct from all others of the genus, and is easily recognised by its small size, and the peculiar " lambda-mark "' on the forewings.
6. Df;ndroleon dumigani, n.sp. (Pl.iii., fig.6).
Total length 21, abdomen 15, forewing 28-5, hind wing 27omm.
Head: eyes grey-brown; epicranium black, a transverse, grey- brown band above antennae; these latter 6 mm., brown, with paler rings; tips elongate-oval, flat, concave above, black; a
54 STUDIES IN AUSTRALIAN NEUHOPTERA, 11.,
brown spot below base of each; face and mouth-parts dull testaceous
T h o r a x : prothorax long and narrow, slightly wider behind, dull brown with paler, longitudinal markings. Pterothorax broader, similarly coloured and marked; underside pale testa- ceous. Leys very long and slender; forelegs black, basal and apical fourths of tibia testaceous;* middle and hindlegs testa- ceous, the femora strongly tipped with black, the tibi« slightly so; tarsal joints mostly black.
Abdomen slender, dull grey-brown; 1 and base of 2 testa- ceous, 3-8 with a basal, testaceous mark projecting apically into a sharp point.
Wings: venation brown, Sc and R speckled with whitish. Forewiny with a narrow, black mark on pterostigma, several blackish specks along posterior margin, and veinlets towards apex mostly clouded with brown. Hindiviny with a diffuse patch of dark brown just above posterior margin, two-thirds of the distance along the wing from base, a touch of browti proxiraad to pterostigma, and another distad from and just below it. Veinlets of pterostiyma in both wings whitish. In forewing, only three cross-veins in radial space, the third being whitish. Origin of lis about two cells' width proximad from level of cubital fork: the oblique vein placed far beyond the fork (3-4 cells distant).
//a6.— Linville, Q. (Brisbane River Valley). A single speci- men, apparently a male, taken on February 22ndj 1915, by Mr. E. J. Dumigan, to whom I dedicate the species Type in Coll. Tillyard.
Easily distinguished from D. lonyipennis Esb.-Pet.,(New South Wales), by its larger, broader, and less pointed wings, less marked with black or brown. In D. lonyipennis, also, the difference in level between the origin of Rs and the cubital fork is greater.
* I have used this word throughout as indicating a dull, pale yellowish- brown, I.e., earthenware-colour (Lat. te><taceu><}. It has sometimes been used to indicate a dull brick -red, i.e.., tile-colour. The Latin word admits of both meanings.
BY R. J. TILLYARD. 55
Genus H l k n o L K o n Banks. 7. Glknoleon berthoudi, n.sp. (PI. iii., fig 8).
Total length 21, abdomen 13, forewing 29'5, hindwing 26 mm.
Head: ei/es blackish; occipuf brownisti, with three, black spots, and an irregular, transverse, black line above; from the middle of this, a short, median line runs up on to the occipital ridge, and is Hanked on either side bv a transverse, black bar; rest of epicranium shiny black; ntUennce 6 mm.; face straw- coloured, mouth-parts pale, spotted with brown.
T h o r a X : prolhorax fairly wide, dull grey-black with l)rown- ish markings. P^i^ro/Ao^-ax greyish-black, with numerous, brownish markings; in particular, a fine, mid-longitudinal line, a pair of curved bands on mesonotum, and a pair of oblique stripes on metanotum. Legs: fore- and middle-legs with dull brown femoi-a tipped with black, til)ije brown, with three, black patches, tarsi blackish; hindlegs with brown femur, pale brownish tibia just tipped with black, tarsus pale at base, brown beyond. *
Abdomen greyish-black, with numerous, small, brown markings on segments 3-8.
Wings rather long and pointed, venation brownish. Ptero- stigma blackish in forewing, covering only 4-5 veinlets, but the black is continued obliquely inwards on to Rs; in hindwing, the pterostigma is small, opaque, and whitish, covering 3-4 veinlets, and touched with black proximally. In forewing, Sc and R, and the space between, are speckled with black; in the median space, from base almost to tip, there runs a conspicuous, black, longitudinal streak, which turns upwards at about two-thirds of its length to run obliquely parallel to, and beneath, the black, pterostigraatic patch, and ending 3 mm. from tip; the bent por- tion of the streak is brownish. On posterior border of forewing are two, small, oblique patches; one at about one-third fi'om the base slants upwards and outwards, blackish; the other, more distally placed, is pale brown, and runs upwards and inwards; around these, and also near apex, are many brown specks on cross-veins. In hindwing, a large, round, dark brown blotch occupies the region of M, and M., at about two-thirds of the
56 STUDIES IN AUSTRALIAN NEUROPTRRA, ii.,
wing-length from base; there is also a small, black mark on the radial brace.
ffab.— Wavooua,, W.A. Taken by Mr. G. F. Berthoud, to whom T dedicate the species, on February 23rd, 1911. Unique.
Type in Coll. Tillyard.
8. Glenoleon aurora, n.sp. (PI. i v., fig. 9).
(J. Total length 19, abdomen lO'O, forewing 24, hindwing 21-5 mm.
Head : fii/es olive-grey; epicraniiim reddiHU-hvown, with three, small, black spots on occiput; in front, a transverse band of shining black, passing between the eyes and enclosing ba.ses of aiitennje; these latter 4*5 mm., brownish, tipped with bWickish; face and mouth-parts yellowish-brown.
T h o rax dull reddish-brown, marked with dark grey. Leys: femora orange-brown tipped with dark grey, tibia? and tarsi greyish-brown.
•Abdomen alternately banded, very irregularly, with orange- brown and dark grey; on the orange-brown portion of 3-6 are some blackish spots or lines.
Wings with a delicate, pinkish sheen on the nearly hyaline membrane; venation of forewing blackish along costa, speckled pink and black on Sc, R, and Rs, the rest brownish specked with black. In hindwing, costa paler and veins less speckled. Pterostiyma in both wings distinct, about 1-5 mm., mostly pink, but touched proxiraally with brown. Hindwing with a small, brown blotch at distal end of Mj and Cuj.
9. Differs from ^ in having less black on epicranium, the wings less speckled, somewhat pinker, and without the brown blotch on the hindwing. Wings considerably wider, less pointed, and altogether larger than in ^.
Hah. -Broken Hill, N.S.W. .Several specimens taken by Mr. O. Lower, in 1900 and 1902.
Types, (^9, in Coll. Tillyard;((J, December 4th, 1900; $, No- vember 10th, 1902; Broken Hill; O. Lower).
This species and the succeeding one are very distinct from all other species of the genus by the beautiful, pink sheen of the
BY R. J. TILLYAKD. 57
wings, and by their peculiar facies, which comes closest to that of G. anmdicornls Esb.-Pet. The sexual dimorphism, which is more or less noticeable in all species of this genus, is, in G. aurora (and probably also in G. roseipennis) extremely marked.
9. Glenoleon roseipennis, n.sp.
5. Unique. Closely allied to the preceding, but differing from it by its much greater size, duller colouration, very large head, and roseate pterostigma.
Total length 19, abdomen 10, forewing 33, hindwing 30 mm.
Head very large, 3-6 mm. wide, dull greyish-brown
Thorax greyish, touched with brown on sides and on notum.
Abdomen with alternating, fairly regular bands of orange- brown and blackish, [much faded].
Wings much as in G. aurora, more rounded at tips, costa brownish. Sc, Pt, and Rs very little speckled with black; the wing-membrane lightly washed with rose-pink in places. Ptero- stiyma of forewing 1-8 mm., rich orange-pink, surrounded by rose-pink, which extends to tip of wing; of hindwing, 1-3 mm., orange-pink, with less rose-pink beneath it, and very little towards wing-tip. No brown blotch on hindwing.
Hab. — Winton, Q. A unique $, taken by Mr. R. L. Higgins, in 1912.
Type in Coll. Tillyard.
Tribe Distoleontlni. In forewing, Cu, bends sharply away from Cuj -f M., Rs arises at a level distal from that of the cubital fork (in Gymnocnemia, exactly above it).
Genus Gymnocnemia Schneider. 10. Gymnocnemia maculata, n.sp. (PI. iv., fig. 11). Total length 16-5, abdomen 10, forewing 23, hindwing 195 mm. Head: eyes olive-grey; epicranium dull yellowish-brown, with a fine iZ-'mark in black on the occiput; two, black, trans- verse lines run, one on either side of the top of this mark in front; a black, shiny patch between bases of antennae, which are 5 mm. long, dark brown, with blackish tips; face yellowish-brown, shiny; mandibles and maxillary palps blackish.
5
58 STUDIES IN AUSTRALIAN NEUROPTERA, ii.,
T li o 1' a X : prothorax yellowish-brown, with a broad , longi- tudinal, median, dorsal, grey-brown stripe, divided down the middle by a fine, pale line. Pterothorax pale straw-colour, with a similar, median, dorsal stripe, and a greyish-hlack mark on each side just above the wing-bases. Legs dull brown; femora with a blackish, apical spot, tibiae with three, black spots, tarsi partly blackish.
Abdomen rather short, grey-black with dull, brownish markings, in the form of an irregular patch covering most of each segment, on either side of the median line, and isolating a median, longitudinal band of greyish-black, which is divided, as in the thorax, by a fine, pale, median, longitudinal line: sutures o^revish-black.
W in gs mostly hyaline, well-pointed; venation brownish. R, Rs, and Cui-1-M.j speckled with black. Pterostigma strongly marked as a pale brown area bordered proximally with black; total length about 2 mm., covering some seven veinlets, some of these l)eing branched In forewing, the origin of Rs and of some of the cross-veins from R to Rs strongly blackened: a short, oblique, dark brown mark runs upwards from near end of M, (below level of pterostigma) through five cells, ending just beneath the Banksian line, which is well-marked; a somewhat similar mark overlies the ends of Cu, and A, on the posterior border. In the hindwing, there is an irregular, dark brown blotch below R and Rs, just before pterostigma, a smaller blotch at distal end of hypostigmatic space, and a rather large, irregular splash of dark brown above the posterior border, at the level of the radial brace.
Hab.—Bvoken Hill, N.S.W. Four specimens taken by Mr. O. Lower (undated).
Type in Coll. Til]\'ard.
Genus Brachyleon, n.g.
In forewing, Rs arises about one cell distad from level of cubital fork; the oblique vein lies directly under origin of Rs. No Banksian line present. Mj and Cuj+Moin forewing unite before the wing-margin. In forewing, lA is a straight line to
BY R. J. TILLYARD. 59
wing-border. Tn hind wing, there is no distinct Cu._,: Cu, is straight, not arched concavely to posterior border. Five cross- veins before origin of Fls in forewing. Hindwing narrower, and slightly longer than forewing, very pointed.
Legs short; tarsus with first joint moderately long, 2nd-4tli verv short, fifth long; spurs present, nearly as long as first two joints of tarsus.
Abdomen short.
Genotype, Brachyleon darwini (Banks).
This genus may be placed next to Gymnocnemia on account of the position of the origin of Rs in forewing, but differs strongly from it in possessing spurs, and in lacking the Banksian line. It differs from Macronemurus Costa, in its short abdomen, and short legs, with long, stiff hairs.
11. Bkachyleon darwini Banks. (PI. iv., fig.lO).
Macronemurus darwini Banks, Pi-oc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila- delphia, 1914, p.619 (issued 1915).
Head dark brown above; two, pale spots on occiput near eyes, which are very dark brown; antennce fulvous at base [the rest missing]; face brownish, shading to fulvous on labrum : mouth-parts fulvous.
Thorax: prothorax pale brown, with two, broad, longi- tudinal stripes of darker brown. Pterothorax and leys shiny
brown.
Abdomen short, slender, rich brown without any markings.
Wings venation brown; in forewings, Sc, Rs, M, and Cu speckled. Costal cross-veins very numerous, especially in fore- wing. Pterostigmain forewing clouded with brown, in hind wing clear. Apical cross- veins in all wings marked with brown specks. In all wings, an irregular, brown streak runs obliquely up from near the end of Mj to near apex; this streak is longer and more diffuse in hindwing than in forewing. In hindwing, Cu, i.sdark, M pale. Only five branches of Rs before radial brace.
f{ab. — Darwin, N.T One specimen, taken on x\pril 6tli, 1913, by Mr. G. F. Hill, Government Entomologist.
Type in Coll. Banks,
60 STUDIES IN AUSTRALIAN NEUROPTEKA, ii.,
Genus S T E N o L E o N, n.g.
Wings excessively narrow, pointed; in forewing, lis arises well beyond brace of cubital fork, and is somewhat bent at the origin of its first descending branch; 5-6 cross-veins in radial space in forewing; oblique vein lying about under level of origin of Rs. No Banksian line present. Costal space very narrow in fore- wing, but widened near base in hind wing by the upward arching of C.
Legs moderately long; first and fifth tarsal joints about equal; 2nd- 1th very short; spurs present, short, about as long as first tarsal joint. Abdomen slender, rather sliort.
Genotype, St. fieldi, n.sp.
This genus, which appears to have no near allies except, perhaps, the African .Vemoleon, is a highly reduced off'shoot from the main Distoleontine stock, easily distinguished from all other Australian genera known to me by the combination of characters given above.
12.Stenoleon fikldi, n.sp. (PI. v., fig.13).
Total length 19-5, abdomen 13'5, forewing 20*5 by 4 wide, hind wing 19 by 3 mm. wide.
fi e a d : epicranium dull brownish; antennce evidently long [tips lost], dark brown, strongly marked with pale rings; bases of antennse, whole of face, and mouth-parts testaceous.
T li o r a X : prothorax subcylindrical, the anterior third marked off by a transverse groove; grey-brown, with a paler, median, longitudinal line, and two, parallel, lateral bands. Pterothorax grey-brown with paler markings; underside grey. Legs : coxae, trochanters, and bases of femora pale testaceous; femora blackish, tibise brown, with a black spot one-third from base and another at apex; tax'si with first joint pale brown, 2-4 dark, 5 pale, with black apical third.
Abdomen narrow, cylindrical, dull grey, with transverse, ochreous lines on apices of segments 3-8.
Wings: venation mostly whitish, costa grey in both wings, also Cu in hindwing. Sc speckled. A conspicuous, dark spot proximal to pterostigma in both wings. Forewing much spotted
BY R. J. TILLYARD. 6l
with brown, as follows — on two or three of the cross-veins in the cubital space, also at the origin of Rs, on the third and fifth cross-veins beyond it, and on the radial brace; on the 4:th-6th cross-veins in median space, and on the first four cross-veins in the cubital space. A larger blotch above the posterior margin just before half-way, crossing Cua and running up to M^; near apex, several, small, cloudy patches. In hindwing, a cloudy patch over ends of M and Cuj, extending as a faint smokiness almost to apex.
Hab. — Tennant's (Jreek, Central Australia. Taken in Novem- ber, 1 906, by Mr. J. F. Field, to whom I dedicate the species.
Type in Coll. Tillyard. Unique.
A very distinct and peculiar little species.
Genus Xanthol eon, n.g.
Insect of very slender build. In forewing, Rs arises about two cells' width distad from level of cubital fork, and is rather irregular in form; ol)lique vein close to the fork (within one cell's distance). No Banksian line present. The cells below Cui -f- M., in forewing, and below Cuj in hindwing, are very regularly arranged, and separated into oblique rows by numerous, parallel sectors descending from the main vein. Hindwing slightly longer than forewing Antennje long and slender, with weak, elongated club. Legs of median length, slender; tarsi with tirst joint a little longer than fifth, 2nd-4th very short; spurs present, longer than first tarsal joint Abdomen slender.
Genotype, X helmsi, n.sp.
A very distinct and clearl}^ marked off genus, whose affinities appear to be somewhat doubtful In the delicacy of its structure it appears to hold about the same relationship to Distuleoii that Froyyattisca does to Glenoleon.
IS.Xantholkon helmsi, n.sp. (PI. v., fig. 12).
Total length 24-5, alxlomen 17"5, forewing 29, hindwing 30mm. Head pale yellowish all (jver, except for the black eyes. Antennae yellowish, slender, 7 mm. long.
62 STUDIES IN AUSTRALIAN NEUROPTERA, ii ,
Thorax pale yellowish; leys straw-colour with a dark patch at apex of femur, anotlier near base of tibia, a third at apex of same; tarsal joints brownish apically, claws dark.
Abdomen rather short, slender; 1 yellowish, 2 pale brown, 3 yellowish at base, shading to dull brown; the rest dull brownish touched with pale brown on apices of 7-9.
Wings with very pale, straw-coloured venation, abundantly speckled with brownish, especially along R, M, and Cu. Fteru- st'igma large in all four wings, 2 mm., pale straw-coloured, cover- ing about 8 cruss-veins, and touched with brown at the inner angle. Four cross-veins in radial space of forewing; 5-6 descend- ing branches of Ks before radial brace.
Hah. — Sydney, N.S.W. Two specimens, collected in October, 1909, by the late Mr. Helms, to whom I dedicate the species.
Type in Coll. Tillyard; cotype in Coll. Petersen.
This delicate and almost ghost-like species is quite distinct from anv other M ynaeleoidd known to me.
Genus A L L O F O R M I C A L E o N Esb.-Pet.
Di tiers from Formicaieon Brauer. by the absence of the Bank- sian line.
14 Al.I.OFORMlCALEON HYALINUS, n.sp. (PI. vi., fig. 16).
Total length 22, abdomen 16, forewing 25*5, hindwing 24mm.
Head dark grey above, a pale, transverse line across occiput; atdeume. long, 6"5 mm., slender, black, strongly clubbed; face blackish, orbits ed'^ed with pale cream, genre and labium yellowish.
Thorax: prothorax short, dull greyish above, yellowish beneath. Plerothorax dull greyish-brown above, mottled with paler grey; underside grey, with some yellow markings. Leys greyish; hind femora very pale at bases, touched with black in middle and at apex; hind tibife pale, with a touch of black at apex.
Abdomen slender, subcylindrical, uniform grey-black; ap- pendages touched with straw-colour.
Wings: venafAon blacki.sh, Sc speckled in both wings: wings quite hyaline except for a slight touch of black basally on ptero-
BV 1{. J. TILLYAKD. 63
stigma of forewing; the veinlets of the pterostignia whitish. In forewiiig, only five branches of lis before radial brace. Oblique veins very clearly marked, very close to cubital fork (less than one cell's length distant). In forewing, lA black, forming a straight line to wing-border. Ci'oss- veins in cubital space of forewing fairly numerous and close.
//^t6. — Stradbroke Island, Q. Two specimens, bred in Novem- ber, 1915, from large larvje, which do not form pits, but hide in loose soil at the bases of trees.
Tvpe in Coll. Tillyard (bred November, 1915).
This species superficially resembles Mynne/eon luiiseriatus Gerst., in colour and facies, but has narrower and less pointed wings. Its nearest ally is AUqformicaleou australis Esb.-Pet., (Sydney), from which it can be at once distinguished l)y its smaller size, shorter wings, the hindwing not being as long as the fore, and by the completely different, and much darker colour-scheme.
15. Alloformicaleon waterhousei, n.sp. (PI. v., fig. 14).
Total length 19-5, abdomen 13, forewing 25, hindwing 24mm.
Closely allied to the preceding species, but distinguished as follows. On all four wings, a black mark on the stigma, and a smaller mark at same level on Mi(this mark is a mere speck in hindwing); in forewing, a larger, oblique, black streak arises from just before middle of posterior border, and runs up across Cu„ to bend parallel to Cuj + Mo at one cell's distance below it. In forewing, lA speckled, not quite a straight line; cross-veins in the cubital space of forewing very few and wide apart; also Cui 4- Mo arches up more strongly than in A. hyalinus. Antennce bordered by a pale line in front of bases; face pale straw-colour. Hind femora black, except for the very pale bases. Abdomen somewhat stouter than in A. hyaUnus, similarly coloured, but with pale, transverse lines across apices of segments 2-S.
//at. —Woodford, Blue .Mountains, N.8.W.(2,000feet). Three specimens taken in February, 1909. by Mr. G. A. Waterhouse, to whom I dedicate the species. A single specimen, somewhat more heavily marked on wings, bred from a larva indistinguish-
64
STUDIES IN AUSTRALIAN NEUROPTKEA, ii.,
able from that of A. hyalinus, on November 5th, 1915, from Stradbroke Island, Q.
Type in Coll. Tillyard (Woodford; G. A. Waterhouse; Febru- ary 12th, 1909)
Genus Distoleon Banks.
16. DiSTOLEON NIGROSIGNATUS, n.Sp. (PI. vi., fi". 1 7 ).
Total length, ^ 25, 9 26; forewing, ^ 30, 9 32; hindwing, ^ 29, 932 mm
Head dark grey above, with a small, oval, brownish spot on occiput near each eye; a black band just in front of, and between, bases of anteimre, which are 8 mm. long, grey ringed with black bases slightly brownish; /ace pale bi'ownish.
Thorax downy, greyish, a touch of brown at wing-bases. Legs rather short, hairy, coxae of forelegs brownish; femora grey, tibiae and tarsi pale brownish with blackish markings.
Abdomen uniformly dull greyish.
Wings very long and narrow; veins mostly greyish; So speckled with black, Rs and Cu also blackish. Pterostigma in forewing greyish-white, with a black, basal patch covering about nine veinlets, five of which are forked: in hindwing, pterostigma is only a slight darkening on 5-6 veinlets. Forewing marked with long, black stripes as follows— a straight stripe runnin" parallel to, and below Rs distally, slightly waved as it crosses each branch of Rs; a long and slightly curved stripe along the main stem of Cu to the fork, where it is thickened, and thence along Cui-f M2, gradually tapering to a fine streak, and finally bending slightly up to cross Mj, and to run wavily for 3 mm. up across two branches of Us; also a short, curved stripe placed concavely to the posterior border, about midwav along the winff, arising from the end of Cu., and arching up towards the middle of Cu, -t- Mo. In hindwing, only a slight, double smudge of brown placed distally on JVl and (Juj and also on two branches of Rs above them; also a touch or two of black near apex. All the above marks are very complete and definite in 9, but, in ^, they are narrower, paler, and more or less reduced.
[{<ih. — Perth, W. .\., and suburbs. Several specimens, taken by Mr. W. B. Alexander, Keeper of Biology in W.A. Museum,
BY R. J. TILLYARD. 65
in February-March, 1913. A single 9 fi'om Broken Hill, taken by Mr. O. Lower (undated).
Types: ^ in Coll. Tillyard (Cottesloe, W.A., February 18th, 1913: W. IJ. Alexander; Museum No.6726); 9 in Coll. W. A. Museum (Subiaco, W.A.; IVIarch 12th, 1913; W. B. Alexander; Museum No. 6898).
The Broken Hill 9 differs from the Western Australian speci- mens in having a row of black spots along the posterior margin of the forewing, at the ends of the cross-veins descending from lA.
This very distinct and handsome species appears to be quite common around Perth. Its superficial resemblance to Proto- plectroib loiKjitudinale, n sp., has been already noted.
Subfamily MYRMELEONTIN.E.
Genus M Y R M E L E 0 N Linn. 17. Myrmeleon loweri, n.sp. (PI. vi., fig. 15).
Total length 29, abdomen 21, forewing 29, hindwing 26 mm.
Head 3 mm. wide; ei/es pale grey; epicranium grey, a small, yellowish patch just in front of anteniiic, which are 4 mm. long, with tips in the form of a fiattened club; face chiefiy dark grey, geiioi and Inhrurn dull orange-yellow, labium yellowish.
Thorax pale powdery-gre}', anterior lobe and base of pro- thorax lemon-yellow, as are also the wing-bases and the latero- posterior edges of the mesonotum; sutures of pterothorax dark. Legs short, dull orange, a patch of black distally on femora, a greyish tinge on tibia:': tibial spurs, distal spines of the tarsal joints, and claws black.
A b d o m e n fairly long and slender, powdery-grey; two, small, yellow spots at base of 1; suture between 1 and 2 blackish, a trace of two, fine, yellow spots apically on 3, the same spots larger and more distinct on 5-7 and on sides of 8; 9 touched with yellow, blunt, hairy at tip.
Wings witli pale yeWow renafion; bases strongh' yellowish; about 34 costal ci'oss-veins before pterostigma in both wings. Fterostignia, in forewing, distinct, pale brownish, covering 7-8 veinlets, some of which are branched; in hindwing, fainter,
66 STUDIES IN AUSTRALIAN NEUROPTERA, ii.,
covering only the lower portions of four veinlets. Before origin of Rs, in radial space, seven cross-veins in fore, five in hindwing. In both wings, five branches of Rs before radial brace.
//rt6.— Broken Hill, N.S.W., collected by Mr. O. Lower, to whom I dedicate the species. Jiourke, N.S.W., collected by the late Mr. Helms. Fairly common
Type in Coll. Tillyard (Broken Hill, undated, O. Lower).
A very distinct and striking species.
Genus A c a n t h a c L i s i s Ramb.
18. ACANTHACLISIS PETERSEN!, n.sp. (PI. i., fig. 2).
Total length 45, abdomen 31, forewing 66'5, hindwing 62'5nim.
Head: eyes brown; occiput greyish black; mttennce. 10 mm, black, very slightly clubbed; epicraninm and face dark grey, Iiairy; labrum and mouth-parts rich brown, labium fulvous.
T bora X : prothorax short, tapering towards head, grey-black above, brown on sides. Fterothorax brownish, with grey shading, and long, soft, grey hairs; underside covered with thick, pale grey hairs. Legs short; femora brown: those of forelegs very hairy; tibife brown, those of fore and middle-legs touched with black on ba.sal half: tarsi very short, 1-4 blackish, 5 pale, with deep apex and claws.
Abdomen cylindrical, with close-set, small, black hairs, 1-2 and apex with longer hairs; colour black, with irregular, brown patcties on either side of middle line on segment 3 (very slight) and segments 4-7.
VV i II gs wide, fairly well jjointed; i^enatioti, in general. Ijrown, C, 8c, and R tinged with orange; Cu, -|- M.^ in forewing strongly marked with black A pale ochreous area on pferostiyma of all four wings. Forewings strongly speckled all over, due to all the veins being irregularly marked with black. Jn radial space, before origin of Rs, eight cross-veins in fore, six in hindwing. In forewing, Cu.^ diverges very strongly from Cui-f-Mo; the oblique vein is black, 3-4 cells' length distad from the cubital fork. Cubital space in forewing wide, triangular, with four, single cells, then two together, then three at widest part, and, finally, three single cells at distal end.
BY R. J. TILLTARD. 67
Hah. -(/ooktown, North Queensland. Taken by myself, Jan- uary, 1908.
Type in Coll. Tillyard. Unique.
This ma<j;nificent insect is clearly very closely allied to A. fidva Esb.-Pet., from which it differs by its smaller size iA.fidva, forewing 72 mm., total length oa mm.) and darker colouration, as well as by having four cross-veins in the radial space. Tn A. /idva, the antennte are pale yellowish-brown, the head, pro- thorax, and mesothorax yellowish-red. The legs in A. J'ulva have the tibiae differently marked; the abdomen is brown, with paler apex; the apices of the segments darkened.
The differences separating A. peferseni from A. fulva appear to be of the same order as those separating A fundafus from A. sublet idens. In both cases, we appear to be dealing with a pair of geminate species, but, in the case of A. peterseni and fidva, as the type of each is a unique specimen, we cannot yet say what the cunstanf differences between them ma}? be.
Family A8CALAPH1D^.
■Subfamily PROTASCALAVHIN.E.
Genus S T I L B o p T E R Y .\ Newman.
19. Stilbopteryx dromedaria, n.sp. (Text-figs. 1-3).
(J. Total length 61, abdomen 47, forewing 48 by 9 wide, hind- wing 44 by 8 mm. wide.
Head: epicranium black, with thick, black hair: aidennce. black, tvithout yellowish rings, tips strongly knobbed, black; ei/es hro\vT\, frons black, clypeus a,nd labrum bright golden-yellow, fjencn. and lahium brown.
Thorax blackish above, with thick, soft, dark grey hairs; sides and underside thickly clothed with long, greyish-white hairs. Leys completely shining-black, except claws, which are dark reddish.
Abdomen ver\' long (Text-fig., I, A) black; 1-2 short; 3 very long, much swollen dorsally, with a convex hump carrying short hairs, and witli a pair of large, rounded, latero-basal, golden- yellow spots, slightly overlapping on to 2, also a pair of small.
68
STUDIES IN AUSTRALIAN NEUROPTERA, 11.,
apico-ventral spots of same colour, subtriangular; 4 long, swollen dorsally into a median tubei'cle, slightly bitid, and clothed with stiif, short hairs ; a pair of large, round, latero-basal, golden-j^ellow spots slightly overlapping on to 3, the small, apico-ventral spots present, larger than in 3; 5 long, taper- ing towards apex, marked as in 4; 6 narrow- cylindrical, with latero-basal spots present, but smaller, and half operlapping on to 5; the small apico-ventral spots absent; a pair of small, semi-oval, golden-yellow spots later- ally at apex of 6; 7-8 narrow, long, cylin- drical, resembling 6, but without basal spots: 9 very short, blackish; appendages black at A bases, golden apically, inferior shovel-shaped, hairy, as in Text-fig. 2, A.
Wings with black venation except basal two-thirds of C, bases of anal veins, and many cross-veins, which are pale straw- colour. In forewing, a black, longitudinal Text-fig. 1."
band runs from base to pterostigma, enclosing Sc and R; the costal cross- veins towards pterostigma also outlined in black. Pterostiyma with a straw spot covering five veinlets, and bor- dered basal ly with black; apex of wing beyond pterostigma strongly black- ened, the basal border of this black patch oblique, nearly a straiglit line. In hind wing, the pattern is similar, but the longitudinal, black band fills the whole costal and subcostal spaces.
5. Total length 45, abdomen 30, fore- wing 50 by 10-5 wide, hindwing 46 by Tt'xt-fig.2.'' 8-5 nnn. wide.
Differs from ^ by the broader wings; the antenna? black, with
For legends of Text-figs. 1-3, see p. 69.
BY K. J. TILLYAHD.
69
fine, vellow rings; the abdomen much shorter, more cylindriral, without anv humps, the latero-basal spots less rounded, ratlier subtriangular, the apico-ventral spots distinct, larger than in ^; the apex as in Text-fig.3,A. Prothorax of ^ h'^s a narrow, raised, transverse ridge, bright yellow.
Hah. — Waroona, W.A. A number of specimens taken by Mr. G. F. Berthoud, in January- February, 1913-1915. Also a single, fine 9 taken at Yallingup, W.A., by Mr. R. E. Turner, on January 7th, 1914.
Types, (J9, in ('oil. Tillyard (Waroona, W.A.; G. F. Berthoud; (J, January 6th, 1914: 9, February 24th, 1914).
This fine species differs from S costa/is Newman (Eastern
Australia) in the following points. In the (J of S. costalis, the wings are broader, and the black, longitudinal streak does not include the costal space, but only touches the bases of the costal cross-veins. Also, in all four wings of <S. costalis, the basal border of the apical, black patch is irregular. The antennae of S. costalis are longer, and ringed with yellow; the head, thorax, and segments 3-4 of abdomen much less hairy, the abdomen much shorter, stouter, and with only a single hump, placed dorsally on 4. The golden spots of the abdomen in S. costalis are confined to segments 5-7 laterally, 4-6 ventrally; the only, large, round spot is placed basally on segment 5. This pattern is shown in Text-tig. 1, B. The appendages of 6". costalis ^ are black, and less complicated than those of S. dromedaria {cf. Text-fig. 2, A and B).
The females of the two species are less easy to separate, but S. dromedaria 9 naay be distinguished by the shorter antennae, the black costal space of the hiridwing, the straighter, inner edge of the black, apical patch, and by the different form of the apex of the abdomen (cf. Text-fig. 2, A and B).
B.
Texttiti.S.
70 STUDIES IV AUSTRALIAN NEUROPTERA, ii.
Text-fig. 1. — Latei-al view of colour- pattern of abdomen in StUhopteryx.
A. jS". dromedaria, n.sp., 6 . B. S. costalii< Newman, c5 ; ( x 1"5). Text-fig.2. — Lateral view of anal appendages in males of StUhopteryx (much
enlarged). A. S. dromedaria. n.sp., S . B. .S'. cosfah's Newman, 6 ;
(x6).
Text-fig.3. — Lateral view of end of abdomen in female of St i/bopttryx {much enlarged). A. *S'. dromedaria, n..sp. .9. B. S. costal is Newman, 9; .( X 6).
EXPLANATION OF PLATES L-VL
Plate i.
Fig. 1. — Eiiporismns albatrox, g.et sp.n. ; ( x M). Fig.'i. — Acaiit/iac/isiM Petersen I, n.sp.; ( x I'.S).
Plate ii. Fig..S. — Ferielystiii aureolatus, n.sp. ;( x 3). Fig.4. — Proloplertroii erernia', n.sp. ;( x '2"5). Fig..'). — Protop/ectroii longitndiiialt, n..sp. ; ( ■; I'T).
Plate iii. Fig. 6. — Deiidroleoii dmnigani, n.sp.; ( x 2'5). Fig. 7. — JJendroleon l<imbda, n.sp., ( x 3). Fig.S. — Olenoleon bertlioudi, n.sp.; ( x 2'5).
Plate iv. Fig.9. — Glenoleon aurora, n.sp. ;( x2'7). Fig. 10. — Brarhyleon Darwiiii (Banks); ( x 2*5). Fig. 11. — tiymiiocnemia macniata, n.sp. ;( x 2'8).
Plate V. Fig. 12. — Kantholeoii helinsi, g.et sp.n. ; ( x 2"S). Fig. 13. — Stenoleonjieldi, g.et sp.n.; ( x2"8). Fig. 14. — AlloformicaJeon waterhmisei, n.sp.; ( x 3'3).
Plate vi. Fig. \o.—Myrmeleou loirerl, n.sp. ; ( x 2".5). Fig. 16. — A/foJbrmicatto)i hyalinw. n.sp.; ( x 2'o). Fig. 17. — Distoleon iiiyrosignatKS, n.sp.; ( x 2 ■."»).
N.B. — The figures are made from the type-specimens, but, where the setting of the specimen has been irregular, the wings have been oiientated so as to conform to a single plan, and the abdomen straightened out where necessarj'.
71
A REVISION OF THE STRATIOMYID.E OF AUSTRALIA.
By Arthur White.
( CommnnJcnti'd III/ Dr. Kiisfacc W. Fftyusnn. )
(Seven Text-tigures.) •
The Stratiomyidce form one of the larger families of the Diptera, containing about one thousand species from all parts of the world. They are conspicuous flies, many of them possessing splendid metallic colouring, but, so far as the Australian species are con- cerned, they have been little studied. Most of those named up to the present time were described by Macquart (Dipteres Ex- otiques, 1838-55); and Walker (List of Diptera in the British Museum, 1848-55; and Insecta Saundersiana, Diptera, 1850). One species was described by Erichson (Archiv f. Naturgesch., 1842), one by Bigot (Ann. Soc. Ent. de France, 1876), and, finally, some Tasmanian species by myself (Proc. Roy. Soc. Tas- mania, 1914).
The present paper lists 30 species, belonging to 18 genera, all the species, with one doubtful exception, and lli of the genera being peculiar to Australia. Most of the species are uncommon, and many more probably await discovery, particularly in the northern parts of the Continent.
In the preparation of the present paper, I have received great assistance from Mr. C. French, Junr., Government Entomologist of Victoria; Mr. W. W. Froggatt, Govei*nment Entomologist of New South Wales; Dr. E. W. Ferguson, of the Government Bureau of Microbiology, Sydney; Mr. A. M. Lea, of the Adelaide Museum; and Mr. F. P. Spry, of the National Museum, Mel- bourne, to all of whom I wish to tender my most cordial thanks.
The Australian -i>7?'a<io»i2/ic?<e are divisible into six Subfamilies, which are distinguished as shown in the following Table.
72 REVISION OF THE STRATIOMYID.E OF AUSTRALIA,
T(djlt of tilt AnstraJian >S-iil)J'ain'tlies of Sfrafionit/idn-. l.Abdi)men with seven, visible segments; scutellai- spines, if present, four ov mute in mxnil)cr; winj^s with either tluee
or four, posterior veins BEKiNi*;.
Abdomen with only five or six, visible segments 2.
2. Wings with four, posterior veins or traces of them 3.
Wings witii only three, posterior veins 6.
8.Tlie four, posterior veins all arise from the discal cell 4.
The fourth, pcjsterior vein is separated from tlie discal cell, and
arises from the second, basal cell 5.
4. Metallic species; scutellar spines, if present, four oi' more in
number AntissiNj^.
Non-metallic species; scutellar spines two in number Clitellarin.!-:.
5. Antennfe with or without a short style, never with an arista
Stratiom YIN^,.
Antennas with a long, thread-like arista Sargin^-.
6. Antennae with a long, thread-like arista Pachygastrin^:.
In dividing the genei'a of Stratiomyidcc into their respective subfamilies, some doubt may occasionally occur relative to the position of the posterior veins, because, in a few genera, the fourth posterior vein seems to arise from the exact junction of the discal cell and the second basal cell, and so might be con- sidered to arise from either. In such cases, the relationship seems to be nearest to the Clitellarince, and such genera are usually considered as belonging to that subfamily, whilst onlj' those in which the fourth posterior vein is distinctly separated from the discal cell, are placed in the Stratiomyin(e or Saryince.
Subfamily BERIN.'E.
The species belonging to this subfamily are readily recognised
by their narrow abdomen, with seven, visible segments; the
scutellar spines, if present, are never less than four in number.
The lierinte occur all over Europe, North and South America,
Australia and New Zealand. In all, about a dozen genera have
been described. In .Australia, five genera aie known to occur.
Talilc of Ihf AnMralian Genera of Berime. l.Scutellum without spines 2.
Scutellum with spines 3.
2. Wings with three, posterior veins Cryptoberis, gen.nov.
Wings with four, posterior veins METOroxiA ilacq.
BY ARTHUR WHITE. 73
3. AnteiuKL' thrice the length of the head Xanthobkris, gen.nov.
Antennse about the same lengtli as the head 4.
4. Eyes hairy; thorax metallic; wings not banded Actina Meig.
Eyes bare; thorax not metallic; wings banded. ..Neoexaireta Ost.-Sack.
Of the above genera, Metoponia is unknown to me; Kertesz places the species named by Macquart, Xenomorpha australis, in this genus: if this is correct, its position should be that given above.
1. C R Y p T o B K R I s, gen.nov. (Fig.l).
Non-metallic flies; scutellum without spines; eyes bare, joined in the male; antennae a little longer than the head, third joint annulated, but without any style or arista; discal cell of wings almost pentagonal, with three, issuing veinlets; cubital vein f(}rked.
Fig. 1 — Wing of Cryptoheris hebescens.
Head short and not produced. Eyes bare, joined in the male. Antennae set close together, situated towards the lower part of the head in profile, a little longer than the head; first joint about twice the length of the second, the third slightly swollen and annulated, nearly twice the length of the first two joints together. Thorax with small shoulder-tubercles; scutellum without spines. Abdomen long and slender, with seven, visible segments. The thorax, scutellum, and abdomen covered with short, depressed pubescence. Legs simple, slender. Wings without any distinct stigma; costal margin minutely bristly, cubital vein forked; discal cell almost pentagonal, with three, issuing veinlets (pos- terior veins); anal cell closed at some distance above the wing- margin.
This genus seems to be most nearly allied to the North Amer- ican genus Chiromyza, from which it is distinguished by tha
74 REVISION OF THK STHATIOMYID^ OF AUSTRALIA,
forked, cubital vein. It also agrees with the European and North American genus AUognosta in having the scutellum un- armedj and in possessing only three, posterior veins, but differs from that genus in the very different form of the discal cell. Fi'om the Australian genus Metoponia, it is distinguished by possessing three, instead of four, posterior veins.
Cryptoberis hebescens, sp.nov. (Fig.l).
Antennae, thorax, scutellum, and abdomen dark brown; legs entirely yellow; wings tinged with brown. Length, (J, 7 '5 mm.
Hab. — New South Wales (Sydney).
Male. — Face brown, receding. Eyes bare, joined for a long distance, the front being reduced to a very small patch at the vertex, and a small, frontal triangle directly adjoining the antennae. Antennae a little longer than the head, first joint about twice the length of second, the third swollen and annu- lated, and nearly twice the length of the first two joints together. Thorax, scutellum, and abdomen dark brown, the whole covered with short, white, depressed pubescence; sides of abdomen with a little longer, white pubescence; genitalia prominent, yellow- brown. Legs with femora and tibiae clear yellow; tarsi yellow, a little browned towards the tips. Wings tinged with brown.
This species is known only from a single specimen, which was taken by Dr. Ferguson at Sydney, on November 12, 1914; it occurred settled on the wall of a building.
2. Metoponia Macq.
Non-metallic flies; scutellum without spines Antennae in- serted towards base of head; first joint a little elongated, second short, third annulated with eight divisions. Wings with four, posterior veins, all arising from the discal cell, first, second, and fourth complete, third incomplete; cubital vein forked.
This genus is unknown to me, the above characters being taken from Macquart's description of the genus, and from his figure and description of Xenomorpha australis, which Kertesz, in his Catalogue, ascribes to this genus.
BY ARTHUR WHITE. 75
Table of the Australian Species of Metoponia.
1 . Thorax and abdomen black ; legs black rubriceps Macq.
2. Thorax and abdomen testaceous ; legs red australis Macq.
Metoponia rubricrps Macq.
Described by Macquart as having the head red, thorax dull black; abdomen shining black; legs black. Length, J, 6 mm. Hab. — " Tasmania."
Metoponia australis Macq.
Syn., Xenomorpha australis Macq.
Described by Macquart as having the thorax and abdomen testaceous, the former, in the male, with a curved, black stripe on each side; antennae and legs red; posterior tibise bowed in the male. Length, ^(^, 7-8 mm.
.ffa6. — "Australia."
3. Xanthoberis, gen.nov. (Fig. 2).
Antennae thrice the length of the head, first two joints short, and of almost equal length, third about four times the length of the first and second together, consisting of four segments of almost equal length, and a shorter style; scutellum with four, marginal spines; abdomen long and slender, with the posterior femora slightly swollen; neuration of wings as in Neoexaireta.
Fig. 2. — Head of Xanthoberis siliacea, ? . Head short, and not produced. Eyes(9) bare and separated. Antennae set close together, and situated about the middle of the head in profile, about thrice the length of the head, first two joints short, and of almost equal length, third about four times the length of the first and second together, consisting of four
7() HKVISION OF THK STRATIOMYID^. OF AUSTRALIA,
segments aud a style, the first segment being the longest, and distinctly longer than the first two antennal joints together, the second, third, and fourth segments of nearly equal length, the style about one-half the length of either of these segments. Thorax narrow; scutellum with four, slender, marginal spines. Abdomen long and unusually slender. T-egs lonsf and slender, posterior femora slightly swollen. Wings with the venation of Neoexaireta spinigera: cubital vein forked and much curved: discal cell with four, issuing veinlets, first, second, and fourth complete, third incomplete; anal cell closed blunth' at some distance above the wing-margin.
This genus is proposed for a New South Wales species, repre- sented by a single specimen in the collection of the Adelaide Museum. 'I'he form of the antennae distinguishes it from any other irenus of the Berhue.
o^
Xanthoberis siliacea, sp.nov. (Fig. 2).
Front black; antennae brown, with the base yellow; thorax, .scutellum, and scutellar spines light yellow-brown; abdomen light yellow-brown, with apex black; legs yellow: wings hyaline, with a dark brown stigma. Length, ^i 9 mm.
Hah. — New South Wales (Dorrigo).
Female. — Face and portion of front adjoining base of antennte covered with silvery hairs. Front black. Proboscis oiange. Antennae brown above, except the short, first and second joints, and a portion of first segment of third joint, which are yellow: beneath, the antennae are yellow for nearly two-thirds of their length, the remainder light brown, with the style black. Thorax and scutellum light yellow-brown, with an orange tinge: scutellar spines yellow. Abdomen with first five segments light yellow- brown, sixth, seventh, and genitalia brownish-black. Legs with anterior and middle pairs entirely yellow; posterior femora bright yellow-brown, with base pale yellow; posterior tibiae yellow-brown; posterior tarsi yellow. Wings hyaline, with a dark brown stigma.
This species is known from only a single specimen, labelled " Dorrigo, N. S. Wales," in the Adelaide Museum. It may be
by'arthuk white. 77
recognised without difficulty by its slender shape, four-spined scutellum, long antennje, and uniform, ligiit yellow-brown colouration.
4. A c T I N A Meig.
Slender tlies, with a metallic-green thorax, six-spined scutellum, and orange or brown abdomen; eyes hairy ((J) or sparsely hairy (9), separated in both sexes; discal cell with four, issuing veinlets, first, second, and fourth complete, third incomplete; tibiae in the male considerably inflated.
This genus occurs in Europe, North America, and Australia. In Australia, two species are known.
Tah/e of Australian Specie-s of Actina. l.ScutcUar spines long, partlj"^ or altogether yellow; abdomen, in
female, bright orange-brown, with black segmentations
inciaurcdi-s Macq.
2.Scutellar spines short, entirely metallie-green; abdomen, in
female, uniform blackish-broMii coMatu White.
Actina incisuralis Macq.
Syn., Beris incisuralis Macq.; Beris Jilipalpis Macq.
Thorax emerald-green((J), or bronze-green(5); abdomen brown ((J), or bright orange-brown(2), with black segmentations; scu- tellar spines yellow, with the base dark metallic-green; posterior femora black((J), or orange, with the apical third or half black (5); wings with a conspicuous, black stigma. Length, (J 7, 96mm.
Hab. — New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland.
This is one of the commonest and most widely distributed of the Australian Stratiomyidcf . It usually occurs settled on low vegetation, but may sometimes be found on windows. It is subject to some variation, both as regards size, and colouring of the abdomen and legs.
'»'-
Actina costata White.
Thorax emerald-green, and abdomen blackish-brown in both sexes; .scutellar spines short, entirely dark metallic-green; liind femora black, with an orange band towards the apex (J"), or entirely yellow(5); wings with the costal margin mucli inure
78 REVISION OF THE STRATI05IYID.E OF AUSTRALIA,
sinuated than in A. incisuralis, and with a smaller stigma. Length, (J 6, 9 4*5 mm.
Hab. — Tasmania.
This species frequents pools in the beds of mountain-streams; it seems to occur very sparingly.
5.NE0EXAIRETA Ost.-Sack. {Exaireta Schin.) Slender flies, with thorax non-metallic; eyes bare, separated in both sexes; scutellum with four spines; wings banded. This genus contains only one Australian representative.
Neoexaireta spinigera Walk.
Syn., Beris Servillei Macq.
Thorax black; scutellar spines brown, with the base black; abdomen purple; posterior femora black, with the base white; wings with basal half hyaline, apical half dark brown, with a hyaline spot on the costal margin towards the tips. Length, 10 mm.
Hab. —New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland.
This is a common species. It may be easily recognised by its banded wings.
Subfamily ANTISSIN.E. This subfamily is nearly allied to the Berince, but is distin- guished by possessing only five or six, instead of seven, visible, abdominal segments; the abdomen is always short and broad, and of bright metallic colouring; the wings have frequently the basal half of the costal margin inflated; the scutellar spines, if present, are four or more in number.
Four Australian genera are at present known.
Tahh of the Australian Genera of Antissina'.
1 . Abdomen very broad ; metallic blue in colour 2.
Abdomen not very broad; not metallic blue in colour 3.
2. Scutellum with spines: costa of wings in male greatly inflated.
LECOGASTEK White.
Scutellum without spines anacanthella Macq.
3. Scutellum with rudimentary spines 4.
4. Antennse much shorter than head antissa Walk.
Antennffi about twice the length of head antissella White.
BY ARTHUR WHITE. 79
6. Lecogaster White. (Fig. 3).
When this genus was proposed, only the male was known; specimens of the females of two species are now, however, to hand. The eyes of the male are densely hairy, widely separated at vertex, but almost joined at base of antennae; of the female, only sparsely pubescent, and well separated throughout. An- tennae about the same length as the head, third joint annulated, and provided with a blunt, in-turned style. Scutellum with, normally, six spines, but two of these may be difficult to dis- tinguish. Abdomen short, but extremely broad. Wings with the basal half of the costal margin greatly inflated in the male, to a less extent in the female; cubital vein witli a long fork; discal cell with four, issuing veinlets, the first, second, and fourth complete, the third incomplete.
The species belonging to this genus may be easily recognised by their extremely broad, metallic-blue abdomen, and spined scutellum. Two species are at present known. Table of the Species of Lecogaster.
1 . Wings hyaline ; thorax blue ; sciitelluni flat can-idea White.
2. Wings with a black spot on the middle of the costal margin;
thorax black; scutellum much upraised cyanea, sp.nov.
Lecogaster CiERULEA White.
Thorax, scutellum, and abdomen bright metallic-blue; scu- tellum not upraised; antennae and legs black; wings hyaline. Length, ^, 8 mm.
/fa6.— Victoria and Tasmania.
This species, though of somewhat wide distribution, seems to occur very sparingly. There are two specimens in the collection of the Melbourne Museum.
Lecogaster ctanea, sp.nov. (Fig.3).
Thorax black; abdomen bright metallic-blue; scutellum much upraised; femora and tibiae black, with the knees and tarsi white; wings with a black spot occupying the apex of the first basal cell and reaching to the costal region. Length, 5, 7 mm.
Hah. — New South Wales (Milson Island).
Female. ^¥a,<ie black, bearing white pubescence. Front black. Eyes with sparse but fairly long, white pubescence, rather more
80
REVISION OP THE STRATIOMYID^ OF AUTTRALIA,
widely separated at vertex than at base of the antennie. Antennae brown, with apex black, first joint slightly longer than second, third twice the length of first and second together, annulated, and gradually tapering, the apex with a blunt, in-turned style. Thorax black, with two stripes of white pubes- cence in front, the whole dorsum Fig. 3. bearing sparse, white pubescence, ^'^''' ''^ Lecoga^ter cyanm. scutellum black, much upraised, with six, black, rather short, marginal spines, the whole fringed with white pubescence. Abdomen bright metallic-blue, with violet or green reflections, second and fourth segments bearing a white, pubescent, diagonal stripe on each side Legs with femora and tibije black, the knees white; tarsi white, with the extreme apex black. Wings hyaline, with a black spot occupying the apex of the first basal cell, and reaching to the costal margin; discal cell with four, issuing veinlets, first, second, and fourth reaching the wing- margin, third only about one-third the distance to the, margin.
This species bears a general resemblance to L. aendea, but may be easily distinguished by the spotted wings, the upraised scutellum, the black instead of blue thorax, and the white instead of black tarsi.
This interesting species is known from two specimens (females), which were taken by Dr. Ferguson at Milson Island, Hawkes- bury River, on October 31st, 1914.
7. Anacanthella, Macq.
This genus was proposed by Macquart for a South Australian species.
Scutellum without spines; abdomen 'short and broad, with five, visible segments; eyes of the male with short pubescence.
Anacanthella splendens Macq. Thorax golden-green; abdomen shining, dark blue; antennae black; legs fulvous, with tarsi black. Length, ^, 5 mm. Hab. — South Australia (Adelaide).
BY ARTHUR WHITE. 81
This species is unknown to rae; it is not represented in the collection of the Adelaide Museum.
8. A N T I ss A Walk. This genus was proposed by Walker for a West Australian species. It is characterised as having the antennte much shorter than the head, Hagellum conical, with a short, thick style; thorax short, broad; scutellum with four, very small spines; abdomen round, much broader, Ijut not longer, than the thorax.
Antissa cuprea Walk.
Described as having the thorax and abdomen bright copper- colour, thickly clothed with short, hoary hairs; antenna' and legs black; wings brown, darkest on costal margin. Length, 6 mm.
Hab. — Western Australia.
y.ANTISSELLA White.
Antennie nearly twice the length of head; eyes joined and hairy in the male, widely separated, and practically bare in female; scutellum unarmed or with rudimentary spines; wings with costal margin inflated in the male, barely inflated in the female.
This genus comes nearest to Antissa, but is distinguished by having the antennte nearly twice the length of, instead of much shorter than, the head. It was proposed by me for Macquart's species, Beris parvideiUata, which belongs to the Antissiiixc, and not to the JJeriiuf.
Antissella parvidentata Macq.
Syn., Beris jxirvidentata Macq.
Thorax greenish-gold, and abdomen deep violet((J}; or thorax emerald-green, and abdomen ruddy bronze, with red, blue, and green reflections(9); legs yellow. Length, ^<^, 7"5 mm.
Hab. — New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania.
This species is widely distributed, and is moi-e usually met with than any other species of the Aviissi/nf, but it can hardly be described as common: the female is more often found than the male.
82
REVISION OP THE STRATIOMYIDiE OF AUSTRALIA,
Subfamily CLITELLARIN^.
The wings in this subfamily possess four, posterior veins, which all arise from the discal cell, although the fourth may issue only from its extreme corner; the scutellum, in all known Australian species, possesses two spines.
Four, very distinct genera are known to occur in Australia, three of which are now described for the first time. Of the latter, Ophiodesma is fairly typical of the subfamily; Elissoma seems to show affinities with the 6tratiomyin(K, and Geranopus with the Saryince. On the other hand, the two last-named genera, both by their venation and the form of the legs, seem to be related to one another.
TahU of the Australian Genera of CliteUarhw. 1. Thorax with a stout spine on each side; antennas with a long,
densely fringed style ' Negritomyia Bij^ot.
Sides of thorax without spines; antenntt without a fringed style 2.
2. Antennas with an arista. First joint of posterior tarsi longer
than posterior tibiae Geranopus, g.n.
Antennas without arista 3.
3. Antennas very long and slender, about five times the length of
head Elissoma, g.n.
Antennas not slender, about twice the length of head. Ophiodesma, g.n.
10. N E G K I T o M Y I A Bigot. (Fig.4).
Thorax with a stout spine on each side; anteniije terminated by a very long, densely-fringed style.
Face barely projecting, but descending well below the eyes. Eyes hairy in Ijoth sexes, joined in the male, ^^g^^^^^, ->..-
widely separated in female. i^,-
Antenna? situated a little be- low the middle of head in pro- file, about twice the length of .^'^■*: „. . ,
, ,. . . . ^ ^ • ,1 Head of Neqritomyia albitarsu, 6 .
the head: farst joint twice the
length of second, which is closely approximated to the third: third consisting of a bare, cylindrical, basal portion, and a very long, densely fringed style, which is slightly longer than the
BY ARTHUR WHITE. 83
basal portion, the total length, including the style, being about thrice the length of the first and second joints together. Thoi'ax with a stout spine on each side, just before the base of the wings; scutellum with two spines. Abdomen longer than, and about equal in breadth to, the thoi'ax. Legs rather long. Wings with the four, posterior veins complete, all arising from the discal cell.
This remarkable genus agrees with Ephippium in having a stout spine on each side of the thorax, but is distinguished from that genus by the very different antennae. The form of the style bears some resemblance to that of Hermetia, but Negritomyia is distinguished from that genus by its thoracic spines.
Negritomyia albitarsis Bigot. (Fig. 4).
Syn., Ephippium albitarsis Bigot.
Face, thorax, scutellum, and abdomen black, scutellar spines light yellow-brown, with base black; tarsi yellow; wings brownish, with a dark cloud towards the tip. Length, (J, 11 mm.
Hab. — Queensland (Mackay).
Male. — Face black, with silvery- white hairs at sides. Front, owing to the joined eyes, reduced to a small, frontal triangle and an ocellar tubercle, which are black, the former with silvery- white hairs above; vertex with long, black hairs. Eyes covered with dense, but short, white pubescence. Antennae brownish- black, of the form described under the generic characters. Thorax black, with silvery-white pubescence, the spines at sides black and shining; scutellum black, bordered with white pubes- cence, and a few, long, black hairs, and bearing two, long, stout, diverging, marginal spines, which are yellow-brown with the base black, and which bear long, white and black hairs. Abdomen black, with white pubescence. Legs with femora and tibiae black, the knees brown; tarsi yellow, brownish towards the tips. Wings brownish, the veins surrounding the anal cell strongly suffused with dark brown, and with a dark brown cloud occupy- ing the greater part of the wing-tips.
The above description is taken from a specimen kindly sent to me bv Mr. Froggatt.
^--cnm I
84 REVISION OF THE STRATIOMYID.E OF AUSTRALIA,
II.Geranopus, gen.nov. (Figs. 5 and 6).
Antenni« with third joint consisting of four, closely united segments, produced terminally into a long, thickened arista; eyes bare in both sexes, joined in the male, widely separated in the female; scutellum with two spines; abdomen slightly broader than the thorax, with a constricted base; legs remarkably long, the first joint of posterior tarsi longer than the posterior tibiie, wings with the four, posterior veins arising from the discal cell, and reaching to the wing-margin, or almost so.
Head larger in male than ^-^-^^ in female, wider than the front part of the thorax, and excavated behind; face round- ed. Eyes bare in both sexes,
joined in the male, widely \,^^ /
separated in female. Antenna^ ^*^>mrJlv
rather lunger than the head, Fig.o.
r; , • • , . • .1 1 ,1 p Head of iiermiopUH pm-purutiiii, 9 ■ first joint twice the length or i^ j j^ > ^
second, third twice the length of first and second together, com- posed of four, closely united segments, the fourth pointed, and produced terminally into a slightly thickened arista, which is about the same lengtli as the rest of the antenna*. Thorax long and almost parallel-sided, the scutellum with two spines. Ab- domen slightly broader than thorax, the base constricted. Legs remarkably long, first joint of posterior tarsi longer than the hind tibiae. Wings with the costal vein extended considerably beyond the tip of the cubital; cuWital vein forked; discal cell with four, issuing veinlets, although the fourth may sometimes issue only from the extreme corner; they are complete, and reach the wing-margin or almost so; anal cell closed at some distance from the wing-margin.
This genus bears some resemblance to the Saryinca, but is separated from that sul)family on account of all the four, pos- terior veins arising from the discal cell, and because the arista is thickened, and not thread-like. The genus of the Clitel/arina', to whicli it seems to bear most I'esemblance, is the Mexican and Cuban genus Chrysochlora, but it is distinguished from that
BY ARTHUH WHITE. 85
genus bv the scutelluin being armed, and bv the third, antennal joint consisting of four, instead of six segments.
Geranopus may be easily distinguished from all the other Aus- tralian genera by the extremely long, posterior tarsi, the first joint of which is longer than the whole of the posterior tibia>, in conjuTiction with the antennal arista.
This genus is proposed for a species which, up to the present, has been taken only in Victoria.
Geranopus purpuratus, sp.nov. (Figs. 5 and 6).
Front, thorax, and scutellum black; scutellar spines, and margin of scutellum, between the spines, light brown; abdomen dark purple; femora black; tibia? and first joint of tarsi white, with apices black; remaining tarsal joints black: wings light brown, witlx base and apex clear. Length, ^, 11; 5, 10-11 mm.
Hab. — -Victoria.
Fig. 6. — Wing of Geranopus purpuratus.
Male. - Face and front black, the latter, owing to the joined eyes, being reduced to a small, triangular strip adjoining the vertex. Eyes bare, and, unlike the female, without any posterior rim. Thorax black, shining, minutely punctate, with fairly long, whitish pubescence at sides; scutellum black, with the two spines, and margin between the spines, light brown. Abdomen dark purple, minutely punctate, with white pubescence on sides. Legs with femora black; tibife and first joint of tarsi white, with apices black; remaining tarsal joints black. Wings light brown, with base and apex clear. Halteres pale yellow.
Female resembles the male, but the head is much smaller, the eyes widely separated, front broad and wrinkled longitudinally.
86
Specimens of the larva have been found under a log at Fern Tree Gully, by Mr. F. P. Spry, who succeeded in breeding a specimen. The pupa-case resembles that of Pachygaster very closely. The empty case consists of ten segments, the head, and apparently first segment, being missing; it is flat, black, and bears yellow bristles, second and third segments each with six dorsal bristles, fourth to ninth each with four dorsal bristles, tenth and eleventh each with two dorsal bristles; in addition, each segment bears a pair of lateral bristles on each side, and the last segment also a pair of unusually long, converging bristles.
G. purpiiratus is, at present, known to occur only in Victoria, where several specimens have been obtained. One of these wall be found in the collection of the Melbourne Museum.
12. Elissoma, gen.nov.
Slender, brightly coloured, but not metallic flies. Antennae extremely long and slender, about five times the length of head; scutellum with two spines; abdomen twice as long as broad, narrow at the base, and broadening posteriorly, with a rounded apex; legs long and slender; wings large, cubital vein forked, fourth, posterior vein arising from the junction of the discal cell and second, basal cell.
Head slightly broader than the front of the thorax. Antennse extremely long and slender, about five times the length of the head, first two joints short, first about twice the length of second, third about four and one-half times the length of first and second together; the three joints are of almost equal breadth, but the short, second joint is slightly the broadest; the third joint in its basal portion, for a length slightly exceeding the first and second joints together, is apparently without annulations, then come four or five, obscure, closely approximated annulations, after which the remainder of the third joint, amounting to about two-thirds of its complete length, is without annulations. Eyes bare, touching, in the male, at a point a short way above the antennse. Vertex with an elevated, scutellar tubercle. Head connected with the thorax by a distinct neck. Thorax almost
BY ARTHUR WHITE. 87
bare, narrower in front than at the base of the wings, and bear- ing distinct shoulder-tubercles. Scutellum with two spines. Abdomen nearlv bare, about twice as long as broad, narrow at the base and broadening posteriorly, with a rounded apex. Legs long and slender, with the tarsi greatly lengthened. Wings large, veins distinct and not crowded anteriorly; cubital vein forked; four, posterior veins present, the fourth arising from the junction of the discal cell and the second basal cell.
This genus is proposed for a very remarkable, Victorian species, which apparently mimicks one of the Hymenoptera. It may be easily distinguished by the extremely long antennae, variegated colouring, and greatly lengthened tarsi. It seems to come nearest to the Mexican genus Compeprosopa in the subfamily Stratio- myince; it bears no resemblance to any other Australian genus, although, in the venation and formation of the legs, it seems to show certain affinities to Geranopus.
Elissoma lauta, sp.nov.
Eyes carmine-red; back of head and front of thorax orange; dorsum of thorax black, with two, lengthened, triangular, white spots adjoining the scutellum; scutellum white, with two, small, white spines; abdomen with the first three segments and the outer margins of the remaining segments pale yellow, fourth seg- ment black, with a pale yellow hind-margin, fifth and sixth black; femora black; anterior and middle tibife and tarsi yellow; posterior tibije and tarsi black; wings brown. Length, (J, 11 mm.
Hah.— Y\ctov\& (Fern Tree Gully).
Male. — Face orange, receding. Eyes carmine-red, bare, occu- pying the greater part of the head, joined at a short distance above the base of the antennae. Antennae as described under the generic characters, first joint black, second orange, third black. Front orange, ocellar tubercle black. Back of head, neck, and front of thorax, including the shoulder-tubercles, orange; dorsum of thorax black, with two, lengthened, triangular, white spots, their bases resting against the scutellum, and their length about equal to that of the scutellum; scutellum white, with two, very small, white spines. Abdomen bare, the first
88 REVISION OP THE STRATIOMYIDiE OF AUSTRALIA,
three segments, and outer margins of the remaining segments, shining, pale yellow; fourth segment black, with a pale yellow hind-margin: fifth and sixtli black; genitalia black: first three, abdominal segments with a few, yellow hairs at sides, f-egs with all femora black, anterior and middle tibife and tarsi pale yellow, posterior tibise and tarsi black. Wings brown, the venation closely resembling that of (y'eranopns piwpuratus (See Fig.6). Halteres purplish-white.
This interesting species may be easily recognised by its very variegated colouring, in conjunction with the extremely long antennpe. Two specimens are, at present, known. One of these is in the collection of the Melbourne Museum; the other was taken by Mr. F. P. Spry, at Fern Tree Gully, in December, 1913. In Mr. Spry's opinion, this species mimicks one of the £raconid(e.
13. O p H I o D E s M A, gen.nov. (Fig.7).
Antennse almost twice the length of head, first two segments short, the first being twice the length of second, third about six times the length of first and second together, composed of eight, closely united segments; scutellum with two, small spines; ab- domen rounded, distinctly longer than broad; wings with four, postei'ior veins, which all issue from the discal cell; cubital vein forked.
Fig.7. — Head of Ophiodesma Jlainpalpis, ?.
Head rounded in front. Eyes in female (the only sex known) bare and separated, but not very widely. Antennse situated about the middle of the head in profile, almost twice the length
BY ARTHUR WHITE. 89
of head, first joint twice the lengtli of second, which is excep- tionally short, third Hagelliforrn, about six times the length of first and second together, composed of eight, closely united seg- ments, the last narrowed, and rather styliform in appearance. Thorax narrower anteriorly than posteriorly, with small shoulder- tubercles; scutellum with two, small spines. Abdomen distinctly longer than broad, rounded posteriorly. Wings with four, pos- terior veins, which all arise from the discai cell; cubital vein forked, and running directly from the discai cell to the costal margin, the anterior cross-vein being apparently wanting.
This genus is proposed for the species described by Macquart under the name of Odontornyiafiavipalpis. It somewhat resem- bles Odontomyia in general appearance, but, as shown by the venation, it belongs to the Clitellm-iiue, and not to the Stratio- niyiiKe. It is further distinguished from Odontomyia by the antennae, which have the third joint composed of eight, instead of five,or six, segments. It does not seem to resemble any of the described genera of the Clitellarincf.
Ophiodksma flavipalpis Macq. (Fig. 7).
Syn., Odontomyia flainpalpis Macq.
Face, front, and antennas black, front with a protuberance midway between vertex and antennae. Thorax and scutellum deep black, with very short, scattered, depressed, yellowish pubescence; scutellar spines small, brown. Abdomen blue-black, minutely punctate. Legs with femora and tibiae black, tarsi white, with tips darkened. Wings hyaline, with anterior veins and stigma dark brown. Length, 5, 5-6 mm.
Hah. — New South Wales and Victoria.
This species is easily recognised by its general, black coloura- tion, with white tarsi. It seems to occur fairly commonly both in New South Wales and Victoria.
Subfamily STRATIOM YIN.^.
In this subfamily, four, posterior veins are present, the first, second, and third arising from the discai cell, the fourth dis- tinctly separated from it, and arising from the second, basal cell.
7
90 REVISION OF THE STRATIOMYID.E OP AUSTRALIA,
The antennae are either with or without a style, but never with an arista.
The Slratiomyince are represented in Australia by the im- portant genus Odontomyia, which is of world-wide distribution.
14. Odontomyia Meig.
(ExochostomaM.aiCC[.; Opseogymiius O. -Costa,; Psellidotus ^ond.; EulaHa Kert.)
Eyes either bare or hairy, practically touching in male, widely separated in female. Antennae with the two, basal joints almost equally long, or, at the utmost, with the first joint twice the length of second; third joint with from four to six, closely united segments, of which the last two may form a terminal style. Scutellum with two spines. Abdomen almost quadrate in male, ovate in female. Wings with the anterior veins much crowded; cubital vein either forked or simple; four, posterior veins present, the first to third arising from the discal cell, the fourth from the second basal cell, but two of those from the discal cell are fre- quently abortive, and, as a rule, none reach the wing-margin.
Sixteen species have, so far, been described from Australia, but several of these cannot be considered as really distinct. 0. Jlavipalpis Macq., I have placed in a new genus^ Ophiodesma, in the subfamily CliteUarince. Of the remaining species, 0. slylata Macq., and 0. ialemus Walk., are identical with 0. amyris Walk., and 0. hunteri King. 0. ritfifacies Macq., and 0. carinata Macq., are also apparently merely varieties of the same species. 0. annu- lipes Macq., cannot be satisfactorily distinguished from 0. sw6- dentata Macq., and, until further evidence is obtainable, can be considered only as a variety of that species. 0. regis-georgii Macq., was described from a specimen without a head, and, therefore, does not admit of identification; it should be deleted. The same applies to 0. picea Walk., the type, in the British Museum, being in too bad condition for identification. 0. stricta Erichs., cannot probably be identified from the description, and the locality of the type is unknown. The only other species that calls for mention is Stratiomys badhis Walk.; this is probably an Odontomyia, but I have been unable to trace it.
BY ARTHUR WHITE, 91
TrOih' of the Australian Specie.'^ of Odontomyia.
1 . Abdomen entiielj' black 2.
Abdomen black, witii green or yellow side-margins 3.
Abdomen black, witli three pairs of green or yellow side-spots. 5.
2. Legs entirely black scutellata Macq.
3. Femora black; tibiie yellow, with a black ring marginella Macq.
Femora and tibiie yellow i.
4. Face fulvous; scutellum with a yellow margin; cubital vein
forked amyris Walk.
Face black ( 6 ) or yellow, with a black keel ( ? ), scutellum with
a yellow margin suhdentafa Macq.
Face and scutellum entirely black, cubital vein not forked
opertanea, sp.nov.
5. Abdomen with three pairs of small, widely separated side-spots;
antennas with a long, thin style carinifacies Macq.
Abdomen with three pairs of side-spots, first and second pairs large, and usually confluent; antennas with a very short, thick style lateremaculata Macq.
In using the above table, it should be borne in mind that the face is only that part of the head below the antennae; the part above the antenna? is the Jro7it.
The species 0. subdentata Macq., and 0. marginella Macq., are unknown to me, and, for the particulars given, I depend on Macquart's descriptions.
Odontomyia scutellata Macq.
Thorax and abdomen black; scutellum brown, scutellar spines long, brown, with tips black; legs, including the tarsi, entirely black. Length, ^, 12 mm.; 5, 10 mm.
Hab. — Tasmania.
This is a scarce species. The male is remarkable for the fact that, in life, the eyes are a brilliant blue, which gives the insect a most splendid appearance.
Odontomyia amyris Walk.
Syn., Odontomyia ialemus Walk.; 0. stylata Macq.; 0. ruji- facies Macq.; 0. carinata Macq.; 0. hnnUri King.
Face entirely fulvous in both sexes. Front(5) fulvous below, black above (in ^, owing to the joined eyes, the front is reduced
92 RKViaiON OF THK STRATIOMYID^ OF AUSTRALIA,
to a very small, black patch at the vertex). Thorax, in life, brilliant green, in dried specimens, black; scutellum black, with outer margin yellow, and with two, yellow spines Abdomen black with green or yellow side- margins, whicli vary greatly in size and shape. Legs entirely yellow, or, at the most, with the hind tarsi a little darkened. Wings with the cubital vein forked. Length, (J9, 9-11 mm.
Hub. Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia.
This is, by far, the commonest, Australian species of Odonto- tnyia, and is very widely distributed. Much variation is shown in the extent of the green or yellow, abdominal side-margins, which mav be narrow and almost straight, or broad and con- siderably bowed in the middle. The type of 0. amyris, in the British Museum, is a small variety, with narrow side-margins; that of 0. ialemus has the side-margins broad and bowed in the middle, but b(->th belong to the same species. 0. hunteri was apparently described from a rather rare variety, in which the green side-margins are reduced to large, basal spots. There is also considerable variation in the colouring of the front in the female; this has, normally, the upper tw^o-thirds black, the lower third fulvous, but the fulvous portion may be reduced to a couple of spots directly above the antennae; whilst, on the other hand, a variety from South Australia, which may represent a distingt species, has only the upper half black, and the lower half pale yellow. In any case, however, 0. amyris may be distinguished by the entirely fulvous or yellow face, and the entirely yellow legs.
Odontomyia subdp:ntata Maccj.
Face black((J) or yellow with a black keel(2); thorax black;
scutellum black, with a yellow margin and two very small spines;
abdomen black, with yellow side-margins; legs entirely 3'ellow.
Length, (^^5 ^ mm.
This species was described by Macquart from "Australia." 0. anniilipen Macq., according to Macquart's description,
differs from 0. snhdentata only in the colouring of the tibia'.
BY authuh whitk. 93
which have a black riiig,iiistea(i of beiiiii; entirely yellow. The distinction is an unsatisfactoiy one, and it cannot be considered as distinct until more evidence is fcjrthconiing.
Odontomvia mahginella Macq.
Face, front, and antennte black; abdomen black, with narrow, green side-margins; femora lilack; tibia' yellow, with a black ring. Length, 5 mm.
llab. — " Tasmania."
This species, which is unknown to me, should be distinguislied, without difficulty, by its black femora.
Odontomyia opertanea, sp.nov.
Face in female entireh' black; antennte, front, thorax, and scutellum entirely black; scutellum with two, very short, brown spines; abdomen black, with narrow, yellow side-margins; legs entirely yellow; wings with the cubital vein not forked. Length, ^, 9 mm.
Ildb. — Victoria (Healesville).
Female. — Face projecting forwards, entirely black. Front shining black, with a median furrow. Antennie about the length of the head, black, first two joints of almost equal length, third nearly twice the length of first and second together, and ter- minated by a very short, blunt style. Thorax entirely black, beneath as well as above; scutellum entirely black, with two, very small, brown spines. Abdomen black, with narrow, yellow side-margins; lower surface bright yellow. Legs entirely bright yellow. Wings with the cubital vein short, and not forked; anterior veins suffused with brown.
This is the only known, Australian species of Odontomyia which has the cubital vein unforked; it is also distinguished from all the other, yellow-legged species by the wholly black scutellum, and by the black face of the female.
0. opertanea is known from only a single species, which was taken at Healesville, Victoria, by Mr. J. Fiench, Junr., on -No vember 7th, 1909.
94 REVISION OF THE STRATIOMYIDiE OF AUSTRALIA,
Odontomyia carinifacies Macq.
Abdomen black, Avith three pairs of small, yellow, separated side-spots; antennae with a long, thin style: face, in female, black, with a narrow, fulvous margin. (The male appears to be unknown). Length, <^, 8 mm.
Hab. — Victoria and Tasmania.
This species seems to be generally scarce.
Odontomyia lateremaculata Macq.
Abdomen black, with three pairs of green or yellow side-spots, the first and second pairs large, and usually confluent; antennae with a short, blunt style; face, in male, black, in female fulvous. Length, (J, 12 mm.; ^, 9 mm.
Hab. — Victoria and Tasmania.
This species is more often met with than 0. carinifacies, but can hardly be described as common.
Siibfamily SARGIN^.
In this subfamily, four, posterior veins are present, the fourth being separated from the discal cell, and arising from the second, basal cell, as in the Stratiomyince. It is distinguished from the Stratiomyince by the long, thread-like, antennal arista.
Only two genera are, at present, known to occur in Australia; one of these, Sargus, a genus of almost world-wide distribution, is now recorded for the first time from the Australian region.
Table of the Australian Genera of Sarghuv.
1. Sen tellum without spines; bright, metallic species Sargus Fabr.
2. Scutellum with spines; black species Acanthasargus White.
1 5. S A r G u s Fabr.
{Ghrysonolus Lw.; Chrysochrvma Willist.; Chrysonotomyia Hunter; Geosargus Bezzi.)
Antennae with a long arista, eyes bare, separated in both sexes; scutellum without spines; abdomen long and slender; wings large, fourth, posterior vein distinctly separated from the discal cell, and arising from the second, basal cell; colouring of thorax and abdomen metallic.
BY ARTHUR WHITE. 95
This genus is very widely distributed throughout the Palse- arctic Region, Ceylon, the East Indies, North, Central, and South America, and the West Indies, but it has not previously been recorded from Australia. Those species in which the ocelli are equidistant, have been placed in a separate genus (Chryso- iiohis, Chrysochroma, or Chrysonotomyia), but it is doubtful if the distinction is more than a specific one. The name Geosanjns has been proposed in lieu of Saryus, on account of a fancied preoccupation.
Sargus meridionalis, sp.nov.
Thorax metallic green; abdomen metallic golden-brown; legs yellow ; wings with costal half brown, remainder hyaline. Length, (^, 8 mm.
Hab.—l^ew South Wales (Milson Island).
Male. — Eyes bare, almost joined on the middle of the front; anterior ocellus widely separated from the two, posterior ocelli, which are close together. Face shining brown. Front coppery- green, very narrow, posteriorly constricted in the middle by the approximated eyes. Thorax bright metallic-green, with brownish pubescence. Abdomen metallic-brown, with a golden tint, and bearing a little, similarly coloured pubescence. Legs entirely yellow. Wings with the costal half tinged with brown, re- mainder hyaline; stigma brown; the four, posterior veins are practically complete, though a little indistinct as they reach the wing-margin.
This striking species is, at present, known only from a single specimen, which was taken by Dr. Ferguson, at Milson Island, on January 30th, 1915.
16. Acanthasargus White.
Black or purple-black flies, with a two-spined scutellum.
When this genus was proposed, only the female was known; since then, however, .sevex'al specimens of the male have been taken by Mr. Hardy and myself. The eyes are bare in both sexes, joined in the male, widely separated in the female. Antennae with the first two joints of almost equal length, third
96 REVISION OF THE STKATlOMYID.E OF AUSTRALIA,
about the same lengtli as first and second together, thickened, annulated, and provided with a long, thread-like arista. Scu- tellum with two spines. Abdomen about the length of head and thorax together, constricted at base, and widening gradually towards apex. Legs short and slender. Wings with the discal cell small, four, posterior veins all incomplete and indistinct, fourth arising from the second, basal cell.
Of this genus, only one species has been described, but a second species, distinguished by the yellow, scutellar spines, is represented by a single specimen, in the collection of the Mel- bourne Museum.
ACANTHASARGUS PALUSTRIS White.
Thorax and scutellum dull black, the latter with two, long, black, marginal spines; abdomen purple-black; legs yellow, the posterior tibiae frequently with a dark ring; tarsi yellow or brownish; wings tinged with brown, and with a brown stigma, which is distinct in the male, indistinct in the female. Lentrth, (J$, 6 mm.
Uab. — Tasmania.
This species frequents rock-pools in the beds of mountain- streams. It occurred not uncommonly in the early summer of 1914, but is usually scarce. Specimens will be found in the collection of the Melbourne Museum.
Subfamily PACHYGASTRIN.E.
In this subfamily, the wings possess only three, posterior veins, which all arise from the discal cell; the antennse bear a long, thread-like arista. The Australian species are small, black dies, with a short, ovate abdomen.
Table of tht Aiixtraliaii, Genera of Pac/ipya.sf)-inti'.
1 . Scutellum rounded PACHYOASTiiK Mei^'.
2. Seutellum piodueed liaekwardn in a spine-like prolongation
LONCHEGASTEK White.
IT.Pachygaster Meig.
Eyes bare, touching in the male, widely separated in the female; antennae short, third joint orbicular, with four, slight
BY AHTHUK WHITK. 97
annulations, and a long, subtermiiial arista: scutelluni rounded behind, without any sign of spines; abdomen very short, broader than long, and ovate.
This genus is widely distributed through North America, Europe, Asia, and New Guinea. No .species has, so far, been described from Australia, but there is a specimen belonging to this genus in the collection of the Melbourne Museum.
t3^
18. L O N C H E G A S T E K White.
This genus resembles Pachyyaster, but is distinguished by the form of the scutellum, which rises from the thorax at an angle of about 45°, and is produced backwards centrally, in a thin, spine-like prolongation, this spine being about the same length as the rest of the scutellum.
Only one species is known.
LONCHEUASTER ARMATA White.
Thorax and scutellum dull black; abdomen blue-black; lees pale yellow; wings hyaline, with anterior veins light brown, posterior veins very faint. Length, ^<^, 3 mm.
Hab. — Tasmania.
Of this species, four specimens are known, all of which occurred on the Avindows of my house at Mangalore, Tasmania, during the summer of 1911-12. One of these specimens is now in the col- lection of the Melbourne Museum.
Species of doubtful position.
The three following species, Beris quinquecella, Beris nitidi- thorax, and Berts Jusciventris, all described by Macquart from Tasmania, are unknown to me; they may belong either to the Beriiice or to the Antissittcf..
Addendum.
Mr. F. P. Spry has been good enough to send me two speci- mens of the undescribed species of Acanthasargus referred to previously (antea, p. 96), so that I am now able to describe it.
Lj L I B R a R
98 REVISION OF THE STRATlOMYIDiE OF AUSTRALIA,
ACANTHASARGUS GRACILIS, Sp nOV.
Face yellow above, black below; front and thorax black; scu- tellum black, with the two spines and margin between the spines yellow; abdomen purple-black, legs yellow; wings with a brownish cloud across the discal cell. Length, ^, 6'5mm.
Hab, — Victoria (Gippsland).
Female. —Head less produced than in A. palustris, with ^ yellow rim behind the eyes. Face with the upper part imme- diately adjoining the antennfe yellow, the remainder black. Antennse black. Front black. Thorax deep black, minutely punctate; scutellum black, with the two spines, and margin be- tween the spines, yellow. Abdomen purple-black, broader than in A. palustris, with a little, white pubescence at sides. Legs yellow, the tarsi a little brownish towards the tips. Wings with the four, posterior veins somewhat indistinct, but nearly reaching the wing-margin; stigma brown, and a slight brownish cloud covering the region of the discal cell.
This species bears a close resemblance to A. pahimti'is, but may be distinguished without difficulty by the yellow, instead of black, scutellar spines. It seems to be generally scarce.
Systematic List of the Stratiomyidoi of Atistralia. STRATIOMYID.^.
B E R I N iE.
Cryptoberis, gen.nov.
hebescens, sp.nov. ... ... New South Wales.
Metoponia Macq.
rubriceps Macq. ... ... Tasmania.
australis Macq. ... ... "Australia."
Xanthoberis, gen.nov.
siliacea, sp.nov. ... ... New South Wales.
AcTiNA Meig.
incisuralis Macq., (filipalpis New South Wales, Victoria,
Macq.) Tasmania, Queensland.
costata White ... ... Tasmania.
BY ARTHUR WHITE.