BY R. .). TILLYARD. 587 



would, in turn, derive from the Lower Permian fossil genus 

 Eugereon, wliich he places in a third Order, Protohemiptera. 



Had it not been for the preservation of its mouth-parts, which 

 form a primitive elongated sucking beak, Euyereon would never 

 have been considered to have any relationship whatever with 

 the Hemiptera. It was a huge insect, with primitive densely 

 veined wings that were held out away from the body; the pro- 

 thorax had lateral expansions suggestive of rudimentary wings, 

 as in the case of some of the Carboniferous fossils. Apart from 

 the dense venation, it is not possible to establish any close re- 

 lationship between the venational plan of Euyereon and that of 

 primitive Hemiptera; although it might be admitted that such 

 a connection may possibly have actually taken place in the 

 course of evolution, between Eugereon and the most densely 

 veined types of Fulgoridcn^ if the venation of the former had 

 undergone a great deal of reduction and fusion of parts. That 

 being so, it seems to me that the Protohemiptera are best re- 

 garded as a separate Order lying right off the main line of descent 

 of the Hemiptera proper; the connection between the two being 

 only establishable through a lost Carboniferous ancestor common 

 to both. 



The Palseohemiptera, on the other hand, are so obviously 

 Hemiptera, that there seems to be no point at all in erecting a 

 separate Order lo contain them. Most of the Liassic fossils 

 known are, in fact, definitely placed within tiie Homoptera by 

 Handlirsch; and it is quite evident that they rightly belong 

 there. Only the genus Dysmorpho}>tila Brodie, is retained within 

 the Palseohemiptera; and, as this is probably a fragment, we 

 may disregard it. Turning to the Permian fossils, we find two 

 beautifully preserved wings, Scytinojytera kokeni Handl., and 

 Prosbole hirsuta Koken, which are placed together in the Order 

 Palpeohemiptera. The former, I would regard definitely as an 

 Homopteron; the latter most certainly comlnnes the wing-char- 

 acters of both Heteroptera and Homoptera, and could not well 

 be placed in either Suborder without disregarding its evident 

 affinity to the other. I propose, therefore, to sink Handlirsch's 

 Order Palseohemiptera to the status of a Suborder within the 



