260 



A F0S8IL INSECT- AVTNG FROM THE ROOF OF THE 



COAE 8EAM TX THE SYDNEY HARBOUR 



COLLIERY. 



Ry R. J. TiLLYAHD, M.A., D.Sc, F.L.S.. F.E.S, Linnean 

 Maclkay Fellow of the Society in Zoology 



(One toxt-fiiiiire.) 



In tlie Journal and Proceed ins^s of tlie Royal Society of New 

 South Wales, Vol. xlv., 1911, p.r)5I, Mr. AY. S. Dun records the 

 occurrence of a species of Tceniopteris in the roof of the Coal- 

 seam in the Sydney Harbour Colliery at Balmain (Copper Per- 

 mian). An excellent figure of the actual specimen, reproduced 

 from a photograph, is given in Plate xli., in the same paper. The 

 writer concludes with the following note : — "Associated with 

 the leaf is the impression of an insect's wing, a description of 

 which will be submitted later." 



Recently Mr. Dun has very kindly passed this specimen over 

 to me for description, and I desire to thank him for the oppor- 

 tunity of studying it. 



The wing lies upon the smooth surface of a very dark, hard 

 shale. Its position is best located by the following note. 

 Measure 18 mm. from the distal preserved end along the mid-rib 

 of the frond of Tcfiiiopteris, and, from the point .so obtained, erect 

 a perpendiculai- on the side on which the centre of curvature of 

 the frond lies. The distal end of the insect-wing lies at a dis- 

 tance of 20 mm. along this perpendicular. 



The wing can be actually seen in the reproduction mentioned 

 above, but it is so faint in outline that it would not be noticed 

 unless some measurements were given to assist one in locating 

 it. The same may be said to be the case with the actual speci- 

 men. Once it has been located, a careful examination with a 

 hand-lens will show the presence of the main veins, and, in 

 certain lights, of cross-veins also. All of these, except only the 



