678 MESOZOIC INSECTS OF QUEENSLAND, ii., 



Gomphince,''^ and to have it placed, on p.339, in the genus 

 ^Eschna; since, long before 1884, the two subfamilies uEschninfc 

 and Gomjyhirue had been clearly recognised and distinguished. 



However, Woodward got very close to the mark, as regards 

 the true relationships of this fossil wing, when he noticed its 

 close resemblance to a fossil w ing found in the Lower Purbecks 

 of Durdlestone Bay, Dorset, England, and figured b)^ Prof. J. O. 

 West wood (4} in 1854. Though Woodward does not mention the 

 name of this specimen, there can be little doubt that he referred 

 to ^Eschnidium huhas Westwood, a form so similar t<^ the more 

 complete ^Eschnidium densum Hagen, that Handlirsch thinks 

 that the two may very well be specifically the same. 



Woodward's figure (5, PL xi., fig.l) shows a wing undoubtedly 

 belonging to the ^Eschnidiidw in its general features, but ap- 

 parentlj^ differing from the type-genus, ^Eschnidhim, in some 

 important points, notably in the extraordinary, transversely 

 narrowed triangle, the incomplete arculus, and the weakly -formed 

 nodus. These points are so important that, if the fossil really 

 agrees with Woodward's figure, it would be impossible to endorse 

 Handlirsch's removal of it to the genus ^Eschnidium. It would 

 be necessary to propose a new genus for its reception. Hence, 

 in making a careful study of the wing, I have paid special atten- 

 tion to these three important areas, with the results that I now 

 propose to give in this paper. 



It is necessary to state, first of all, what is the degree of pre 

 servation of the fossil wing, and, in particular, of the small 

 veinlets and areolets that cover it so abundantly. The rock on 

 which the wing is impressed is very hard. The outlines of the 

 main veins, and their concavity or convexity, are preserved to 

 perfection. On the other hand, the finer veinlets and areolets 

 are not thus perfectly preserved, yet they can be seen to be pre- 

 sent in all parts of the wing. It may be stated that every 

 polygonal areolet is preserved in such a way that its interior is 

 indicated on the rock as a small depression, while the veins, that 

 form its periphery, are not usually clearly marked (except only 

 in the case of cross-veins passing direct from one main vein to 



