413 



TWO FOSSIL INSECT WINGS IN THE COLLECTION OF MR JOHN 



MITCHELL, FROM THE UPPER PERMIAN OF NEWCASTLE NSW, 



BELONGING TO THE ORDER HEMIPTERA. 



By R. J. Tillvard, ^[.A., Sc.D. (Cantal..), D.Sc. (Sydney), C.M.Z.S., F.L.S., 

 F.E.S., Entomologist and Cliief of the liiological Department, Cawthron In- 

 stitute, Nelson, N.Z. 



(Plate sxxv., and live Text-ligures). 



The two fossil insect wings dealt with in this jjaper were discovered by 

 Mr. Jolm Mitchell under somewhat remarkable oircnmstanees, whieli are best 

 explained by quoting his own words to me in a letter: — 



"These two wing-s were obtained from debris of the eudjankments of the 

 Burwood Colliery railway, made up of the material taken from two tunnels 

 which had to be made in the course of its construction. The floors of these 

 tunnels are only three or four feet above the Dirty Seam of the Newcastle 

 Series of Coal seams, and are practically identical with the geological liorizon 

 from which Permosearta mitehelU Till, was collected. But the embankments 

 are close to the sea, and fre(|uently, during heavy stoiins, suffer unich damage 

 from the waves beating upon them. This jieriodical damage has Iseeu mostly 

 repaired with cliitter (impure coal and bands of nnidstone, etc.) and other re- 

 fuse from the Burwood Colliery. Thus it is possible that these two wings (or 

 one or other of them) came from the Burwood Coal Seam horizon, wliieh is 

 from one hundred to one liundred and twenty feet above the Dirty Coal Seam; 

 but it is nuicli more likely tlnit they came from the lower horizon before men- 

 tioned. 



"The bricky or burnt condition of the material in which the wings occur 

 was produced by the spontaneous combustion of the material of which the em- 

 bankments Lave been composed. Tliis kind of combustion always happens in heaps 

 of coal or of clutter after exposure for a lengtliened iieriod of time to atmos- 

 pheric influences. 



"It is unfortunate that these wings were not found in situ; for, if they had 

 been, we would know exactly where to look for otliers belonging to the same 

 geological horizon, a matter of great scientific importance considering the uni- 

 queness of each of these wings." 



The material in which the fossils occur is of a brigid brick-re<l coloui- and 

 very hard, reminding one of the bricks made by the Romans and used by them 

 in ancient Roman l)uildings in England. The material lias a shallow conchoidal 

 fracture, for the most part very smooth. Tlie wings are associated witli ])lentiful 

 remains of small fronds of a species of Glossnpteris. Tlie smaller wing, in fad. 



