Professor Pictet on the Insects found in Amber, 393 



ance of this study has been fully felt. It was necessary that 

 palseontological systems should have been advanced to the 

 point they have now reached, and that theoretical questions 

 should have been determined as they have been of late years, 

 before we could perceive the advantage that would result to 

 palaeontology from a perfect acquaintance with the remains 

 inclosed in amber. We find, it is true, among the old natu- 

 ralists, some works relating to this substance, and some in- 

 complete attempts to make us acquainted with the organic 

 remains contained in it. But it is M. Berendt who has first 

 attempted to develop this subject fully. After some special 

 works, he has conceived the plan of a great general work, in 

 which all the species should be described in a manner wor- 

 thy of the actual state of the science. An undertaking of 

 this importance cannot be completed by one man ; accord- 

 ingly, M. Berendt has obtained several individuals to assist 

 him. M. Goeppert has undertaken the botany ; M. Koch the 

 Crustacea, myriapodes, arachnides, and apterous insects ; M. 

 Loew the diptera; M. Germar the hemiptera and orthop- 

 tera, &;c. ; and M. Berendt has connected me with the work, 

 by entrusting to my care the study of the neuropterous in- 

 sects. The publication has commenced under the auspices of 

 the Queen of Prussia ; and there is every reason to expect 

 that in a few years this great project will be completed. We 

 shall lay before our readers some of the principal facts which 

 the successive parts of the work will disclose. I shall, for 

 the present, avail myself of what has already appeared, and 

 of what my own observations have taught me, in order to 

 give a general idea of the nature of amber, its formation, and 

 the principal features of the fauna and flora whose remains 

 are inclosed in it. 



Yellow amber, as every one knows, is a transparent or 

 slightly opaque substance, varying from pale yellow to brown, 

 susceptible of becoming charged with electricity by friction, 

 diffusing a resinous odour when burnt, and containing a pe- 

 culiar acid known by the name of succinic acid. Amber re- 

 sembles the resin named copal, which flows from the trunk of 

 certain leguminous trees of warm countries, and also the resin 



