34 



MESOGEREON NEUROPUNCTATUM, sp. nor. 

 Plate l,figs. 1,2. 



This is onl}" a small fragment of what is evidently a large wing,, 

 the magnification being -75. An underlying irregularity in the rock 

 has badly broken the line of the costa, subcosta, and radius ; probably 

 the wing became pressed down just there over some hard plant - 

 remains. The extraordinary cross-ridges are very clearly shown, and 

 give the wing an appearance quite unlike anything else known to 

 me in the Insecta. In the clear areas of the wing it is surprising to 

 find both tubercles and pits scattered about indiscriminately. The 

 size of these suggests that the wing itself belonged to a very large 

 insect. 



MEASUREMENTS : Greatest length of fragment 23 mm., greatest 

 breadth 17 mm. 



TYPE : -Spec. 19a (Plate 1, figs. 1, 2). TYPE-COUNTERPART : 

 Spec. 196. (B. D. Coll.) 



OBS. : In the absence of the mouth parts, the placing of this 

 fossil in the Protohemiptera is only provisional. The evidence in 

 favour of it maybe stated under two main heads (1) the resemblance 

 of the venational plan to that of Eugereon, the famous Protohemip- 

 terid from the Lower Permian of Germany, and (2) the presence of 

 the tubercles and pits resembling those found on the wings of certain 

 Palaeohemiptera. The genus, indeed, is distinctly a connecting 

 link between these two orders, and shows us the evolutionary method 

 by which the Palseohemiptera (and hence probably also our recent 

 Hemiptera) were actually derived from the Protohemiptera. It is 

 doubtful indeed whether the two distinct orders should be any 

 longer maintained. 



Order HEMIPTERA. 



Family JASSID^E. 

 Genus MESOJASSUS, gen. nov. 



A small Jassid-like forewing, tapering slightly in width from 

 close to the base up to the rounded tip. Basal three-fifths of wing 

 thickened and closely covered with small pits ; distal two-thirds 



