38 



4. A Lepldopterous insect, a fairly large moth, is present 



in the Australian Trias. As the Lepidoptera have not 

 until now been traced back beyond the Upper Jurassic, 

 this discovery is of great importance. Also, as this insect 

 existed in a period long before that generally agreed upon 

 when flowering plants first appeared (Lower Cretaceous), 

 it is an interesting cpnestion as to what it fed upon and 

 what its mouth parts Avere like. 



5. A true Hemipterid (allied to the recent Jassidce) existed 



side by side with a large insect probably related to 

 Eugereon, and hence referable to the Protohemiptera. 

 Jassidce are known from the Lias of the Northern Hemi- 

 sphere, but the Protohemiptera did not survive beyond 

 the Permian. 



6. The large gap in the Insect Record (Trias) is at last in 



process of being satisfactorily bridged over. 



3. ST. PETER'S FOSSIL INSECTS. 



Order BLATTOIDEA. 



Family BLATTIDJE. 



Genus NOTOBLATTITES, gen. nov. 



Rather large insects with broad oval tegmina. Tegmen with a 

 strong subcosta reaching nearly to tip of wing and supporting a 

 broad costal area crossed by simple or once-branched oblique cross- 

 veins. Costal border only slightly convex. Radius very strong, 

 parallel with and moderately close to Sc. Radius gives off three 

 branches posteriad, close together at about one-third of the wing 

 length ; of these the lowest (most basal) is unbranched, the middle 

 gives off three branches posteriad, while the uppermost (most distal) 

 is dichotomously branched. Media with at least three branches 

 posteriad from main stem. A number of cubital and anal veins and 

 branches (origins not distinct). 



Resting position typically blattoid, with tegmina laid flat along 

 back ; in position of rest, the insect formed a moderately wide oval 

 with the sides nearly parallel, only very slightly convex. Tips of 

 hind wings projected beyond the curved ends of the tegmina. 



TYPE : Notoblattites subcostalis, sp. nov. 



