- Native name, KEGETUCK or BEBIL. "Young sting-ray" of
the sealers. Caught by seine, 4th May, 1841.
No. 28. - Near PLATYRHINA. - Native name, PARETT. "Fiddler" of the sealers;
Green skate of the settlers. Eye dullish yellow; pupil sea-green, glaring
in some lights; teeth transverse, like a file; spiracles two, large,
behind the eye, in the same cavity; belly white, terminating at the
caudal fin.
Very common in the sheltered bays, close in shore among the weeds. Not
eaten by the Aborigines, who greatly abhor them, as they do also the
sting-ray. Specimen two feet nine inches and a half long.
* * * * *
(D.) DESCRIPTION AND FIGURES OF FOUR NEW SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN INSECTS.
BY ADAM WHITE, ESQ. M.E.S.
The four insects here figured and described are, as far as I am aware,
new. Petasida, and Tettigarcta are interesting in the shape of the
Thorax, differing widely from that in any of the allied genera, while the
new species of Eurybrachys and Chrysopa are striking from their colouring
and marks.
PETASIDA EPHIPPIGERA, pl. 4. fig. 1.
Thorax much dilated behind, depressed and rounded at the end; the side
deeply sinuated behind; head pointed, antennae long; of a yellowish
orange; antennae with a few greenish rings, cheek below the eye with a
greenish line, head above with a longitudinal greenish line. Thorax with
a slight keel down the middle, wrinkled behind of a dusky blueish green,
a large patch of an orange colour on each side in front, and a small spot
of the same colour on each edge of the produced part at base; elytra
orange with numerous black spots, and black at the tip, lower wings pale
orange at the base, clouded with black at the tip; abdomen orange,
slightly ringed with green; legs orange, with three greenish spots on the
outside of the femora of hind legs.
Length 1 inch 9 lines.
Hab. Australia.
CHRYSOPA MACULIPENNIS, pl. 4. fig. 2.
Head red, with a black spot on the crown; antennae short brownish black;
thorax hairy; thorax, abdomen, and legs, brownish black. Wings brown,
with iridescent hues, the upper with transverse yellowish lines and spots
at the base; a long yellowish line parallel to the outer edge at the end,
and emitting a whitish spot which reaches the edge, three spots on the
apical portion, the two on the outer edge large; basal half lower wings
pale, some of the areolets yellowish; a few clouded with brown, tip of
the wing yellowish.
Expanse of wings 1 inch 4 1/2 lines.
Hab. Australia.
EURYBRACHYS LAETA, pl. 4, fig. 3.
Head thorax and upper wings of a rich brown colour, the outer edge of the
last is deep black, with a transverse yellowish spot just before the
middle, the remainder of the edge slightly spotted with black, upper side
covered with short blackish hairs; lower wings deep black; abdomen of a
bright red, with a round white tuft on the upper side near the end; first
two pairs of legs of a deep brown, with some reddish lines; hind legs
ferruginous with blackish spines.
Expanse of wings 7 lines.
Hab. Australia.
TETTIGARCTA, n. genus, WHITE. Fam. CICADIDAE.
Head very small in front, blunt; lateral ocelli close to the eyes, space
between them with long hairs.
Prothorax very large, extending back in a rounded form beyond the base of
hind wings, the sides sharp pointed, the back very convex and wrinkled.
Body and under parts densely clothed with hair.
This very singular genus differs from all the Stridulantes in the size
and shape of the prothorax; in the neuration of the elytra it is allied
to PLATYPLEURA (Amyst and Serville) in the size of head and hairiness of
body it approaches CARINETA of the same authors. The Pupa, (fig. 5.)
differs in the form of fore legs from those of the other Cicada.
TETTIGARCTA TOMENTOSA, pl. 4, fig. 4, and 5 its pupa.
Of a brownish ash colour, the hairs on upper part of body short and deep
brown, on the sides and under parts long and grey; prothorax varied with
black, in front, two large patches covered with grey hairs, mixed with
longer; elytra spotted and varied with brown, wings clear, somewhat
ferruginous at the base.
Expanse of wings 3 inches 4 lines.
Hab. Australia.
* * * * *
DESCRIPTION OF TWO NEW INVERTEBRATED ANIMALS FROM AUSTRALIA,
BY J. E. GRAY, ESQ., F.R.S.
Lamarck separated the mother-of-pearls shell (MARGARITA) from the
swallow-tail muscles (AVICULA) on account of its more orbicular shape.
Other Conchologists have been inclined to unite them, as some of the
species of AVICULA approach to the shape of the other genus. The new one
just received from Australia, which I am now about to describe, in this
respect more resembles the Margarita than any before noticed; yet I am
inclined to think that the pearl-shells deserved to be kept separate, as
the cardinal teeth are quite obliterated in the adult shells, which is
not the case with any AVICULAE I am acquainted with; and the young
pearl-shells are furnished with a broad serrated distant leafy fringe,
while the AVICULAE are only covered with very closely applied short
concentric slightly raised minutely denticulated lamina, forming an
epidermal coat on the surface.
1. AVICULA LATA, pl. 6. f. 1.
Shell dark brown; half ovate; broad obliquely truncated, and scarcely
notched behind; covered with close regular very thin denticulated
concentric lamina, forming a paler external coat. The front ear rather
produced, with a distant inferior notch; internally pearly, with a broad
brown margin on the lower-edge.
Inhab. North and West coasts of Australia.
2. SPATANGUS ELONGATUS, pl. 6. f. 2.
Body elongate, cordate, with a deep anterior grove and notch; covered
above with minute hair-like spines, with scattered very elongated tubular
minutely striated spines on the sides; the anterior groves and
circumference of the vent with larger equal hair-like spines on each
side; the under surface with a triangular disk of similar spines beneath
the vent, and with elongated larger tubular spines.
