INSECTS OF NEW BRUNSWICK. 17 



V. HOMOTHETUS FOSSILIS. PI. 1, figS. 1, 2. 



Homothetusf ossilis ScvBi)., Can. nat. geoL, (n. s.) iii, 205, fig. 3 (1867); — Ib., Geol. 

 mag., IV, 387, pi. 17, fig. 3(1867); — Ib., Daws., Acad, geol., 2d ed. 524-25, fig. 182 (1868); 

 — Ib., Amer. nat., i, G31, pi. 16, fig. 7 (1868); — Ib., Geol. mag., v, 172, 176 (1868); — 

 Pack., Guide ins., 77-78, pi. 1, fig. 7 (1869). 



Mentioned without name, as the second species, in my letter to Mi-. Hartt : On the devo- 

 nian insects of New Brunswick, p. 1 ; Bailey, Obs. south. New Br., 140 ; Amer. journ. sc, 

 (2) xxxix, 357; Can. nat. geol., (n. s.)ii, 235; Trans, ent. soc. Lond., (3) ii, 117, — all in 

 1865. 



The wing representing this insect is the most complete of the devonian insects, 

 and would leave little to be desired were the base more complete ; unfortunately the 

 reverse of this specimen was never found, or it might supply the missing parts. To 

 judge from the strong convexity of the costal margin, it is a front wing. It has the gen- 

 eral appearance of a Sialid of moderate size, and the form of the wing closely corresponds. 

 Although a fragment from the middle of the costal margin, and the whole outer half of 

 the lower margin with the apex are missing, the form of the wing can be estimated with 

 considerable probability. The costal margin is in general strongly convex, but is flat in 

 the middle third, the basal portion rapidly ascending, and the apical as rapidly descendino" ; 

 the apex was probably romided, but a little produced, and the hinder border pretty uni- 

 formly and fully rounded, making the middle the broadest part of the wing, where the 

 breadth is probably contained about three times in the length ; toward the base 

 the wing narrows rapidly, but at the extreme base more gradually above so as to be 

 almost pedunculate. 



The marginal vein forms the border. The mediastinal vein is at first inclined slightly 

 downward, then ascends as gently, parting slightly from the marginal, but again in the mid- 

 dle of the wing commences most gradually to approach it, running toward the extremity of 

 the wing in close contact with it, Init apparently not joining it until just before the apex 

 and beyond the preserved part of the fossil ; throughout it partakes of the course of the 

 margin, but in a less exaggerated form, ascending slightly beyond the basal part, then 

 straight in the middle, gently arcuate apically ; it is connected with the margin, so far as 

 can be made out, by a single straight cross vein somewhat before the middle of the wing. 



The scapular vein follows a similar course as the mediastinal, always about as far removed 

 from it as it is from the margin, excepting in the apical third ; where its distance from the 

 mediastinal is shghtly greater, so as to carry its termination, no doubt, exactly to the tip 

 of the wing ; no cross veins can be seen to connect this vein with the mediastinal. No 

 other veins can be traced at the extreme base of the wing between the scaj^ular and the 

 lower margm ; but at a short distance (about 2-3 mm.) from the base of the scapular vein, 

 and where its course turns from a descending to a longitudinal direction, a stron-g trans- 

 verse vein dejoends from it, directed a very little obliquely outward, and reaching from one- 

 third to one-half way to the lower margin of the vnng ; and from near and at the lower 

 extremity of this stout transverse vein, other longitudinal vems arise. The uppermost arises 

 from the middle of the lower half of the vein, at a distance from the scapular much greater 

 than the scapular from the costal margin at this point ; at first it tends upward, parallel to 



