Prof. J. Buckman on Libellula Brodiei. 269 



highly valuable ' History of the Insects of the Secondary Rocks/ 

 in which work (pi. 8. figs. 1 & 2) the same wings are beautifully 

 figured by Mr. Westwood, with the following explanatory re- 

 marks : — 



" Plate 8. fig. 1. A remarkably fine wing of Libellula. 

 " Plate 8. fig. 2. An equally fine wing of an Agrion.** 



These at p. 101-2 of the same work are named — 



"Fig. 1. Libellula Brodiei. 

 44 Fig. 2. Agrion Buckmanni.** 



So that here we see that not only were these specimens doubted 

 as belonging to the same species, but are positively assigned to 

 distinct genera. 



However, in 1848, Mr. Brodie's labours were rewarded by 

 finding a most perfect Libellula in the same bed, with the four 

 wings attached to the nearly perfect body. This unique speci- 

 men will be found figured in the ' Quarterly Journal of the Geo- 

 logical Society/ vol. v. pi. 2, and an examination of the fossil 

 shows that the anterior wing is identical with that referred to 

 Agrion Buckmanni, and the posterior to that of Libellula Brodiei ; 

 and at page 35 of the ' Journal' for 1848 is the following state- 

 ment : — " According to Mr. Westwood, the wing figured in my 

 work on * Fossil Insects/ p. 8. f. 2, is not an Agrion as there sup- 

 posed, but belongs to the same species as the one above described n 

 (jEshna Brodiei, Buckman) ; and further, " Mr. Westwood con- 

 siders that it will be better to adopt Libellula as the generic title, 

 while the peculiar veining of the wings will form the ground for 

 a provisional subgeneric one, which he names Heterophlebia ; 

 hence I propose provisionally to name it Libellula {Heterophlebia) 

 dishcata, Brodie*." 



Now it is quite clear that according to proper custom the 

 specific name should not have been altered, so that, as the two 

 specimens cited were after all found to resolve themselves as I 

 supposed into one specific form, however my generic name 

 might have been changed — for which I can see but little reason — 

 yet the specific one should have remained intact. This beau- 

 tiful specimen therefore should be designated as Libellula jBro- 

 diei (Buckman), as it was originally dedicated to the author of 

 4 Fossil Insects ' when even a single wing was one of the best 

 insect specimens that had been obtained, and he is not the less 

 worthy of having his name preserved for the perfect example. 

 These remarks are made not only with the hope of correcting 



* Broriic in Journal of Gcol. Soc. vol. v. p 



V 



