398 Professor Pictet on the Insects found in Amber. 



sations. We know about 800 fossil species in amber, a num- 

 ber certainly considerable relatively to that of the species 

 which have been described of late years, but very small, if we 

 compare it with the total number of insects of the present 

 European fauna, and consequently with the probable number 

 of those composing the fauna of which they are the repre- 

 sentatives. It is probable that, when their number shall in- 

 crease, the general results will remain nearly the same, for 

 there is no reason to believe that new discoveries will weaken, 

 in any considerable degree, the consequences that may be 

 drawn from the facts already known. 



The first and most important of the results which the study 

 of the fauna of amber has furnished, is a complete confirma- 

 tion of the law'of the specialty of species. No neuropterous 

 insect sufiiciently well preserved has presented to me specific 

 characters identical with those of a living species. M. Koch, 

 on his part, has come to precisely the same result with respect 

 to the Crustacea, arachnides, and aptera ; and what we know 

 of the yet unfinished labours of our associates, leads us to be- 

 lieve that it will be the same in all the orders. This confir- 

 mation of a law so important, and so much controverted, is 

 of great interest ; for we have had to compare animals of the 

 tertiary epoch with those of the modern epoch, that is to say, 

 beings belonging to two creations, between which, it has been 

 believed, analogues have most frequently been discovered. 

 Our observations, besides, refer to a class which could not 

 hitherto be studied under this point of view. We may like- 

 wise af&rm that there is some interest in establishing these 

 complete differences between the aerial animals of the two 

 faunas. With respect to aquatic animals, these diff'erences 

 have often, in fact, been attributed (erroneously, in my opi- 

 nion) to simple organic modifications, produced by changes in 

 the nature of the waters. It is difficult to extend this mean- 

 ing regarding the subject to aerial animals, and to suppose 

 that the modifications of the atmosphere could be so sensible 

 as to exercise a very powerful action. It is necessary, be- 

 sides, to remark, that, in what relates to the discussion of this 

 law regarding the specialty of fossils, the mode in which the 



