174 S. H. SCUDDER ON THE WINGS OF SOME FOSSIL NEUEOPTERA 



Looking at the right side as being in this case more complete, and following the course of 

 the vein which appears at the margin next the base, we see that at a little distance out it 

 sends forth a prominent branch which has a peculiar curve. Now as we know that amono- 

 Neuroptera neither the vena marginaUs : or mediastina sends off branches in this way, we 

 necessarily conclude that this cannot be either of those veins ; and as it is quite what we 

 might expect in the v. scapularis and is just so important a vein as that is, and as at one 

 side we find two veins outside of this running parallel to one another and to this, closely 

 connected by and frequently charged with cross-veins, which in this part of the wing is 

 often characteristic of the v. marginaUs and mediastina, we conclude that these three veins 

 belong to one and the same wing, and are those of the outer margin. Glancino- at the 

 opposite side we see the same peculiar curved vein, which here also is quite prominent 

 though there are no veins outside of it, and we naturally conclude that this belongs to 

 the corresponding wing on the other side, the outer veins of which have been destroyed. 

 We may notice next that on the right side between the peculiar curved branch and the vein 

 from which it springs there lies a vein running midway between the two and apparently 

 connected with either by frequent cross-veins, which being quite an anomalous feature 

 among Neuroptera, if our previous views were right, excites our suspicions; but knowino- that 

 it would be quite as great an anomaly were there to be four parallel veins alono- the costal- 

 border thickly beset with cross-veins and similar in every respect, we look more closely to 

 see if these may not belong to another wing, either above or below that to which the 

 curved branch belongs. We notice, in confirmation of this supposition, that on the left side 

 this dividing vein does not run midway, but considerably at one side ; and observing the 

 right side more carefully, we see that the cross-veins between the v. scajmlaris and its branch 

 override the vein which runs midway between these two, which has also itself separate and 

 less distinct cross-veins, connecting it with a vein which must be directly beneath the v. 

 scajmlaris ; and we therefore conclude, that the space thus covered by these less prominent 

 cross-veins must be either the area marginaUs or scajmlaris of the wing lying beneath • to 

 determine which of these it is, we look for the homologue of the peculiar curved branch and 

 find it taking its rise from this vein at a point similar in position to what we found in the 

 wing above, and less conspicuous than there, not only as it naturally would be from lying 

 beneath but proportionally less so, as is also the v. scajmlaris of the lower, as compared with 

 that of the upper, wing. The area referred to is then the area scajmlaris, corresponding to 

 the inner of the two narrow ones which lie outside tbe v. scapnlaris of the wino- above. Now 

 as in Neuroptera, not to speak of other insects, the anterior half of the wino- is more special- 

 ized, and contains stronger veins in the anterior wing than the corresponding portion of the 

 posterior wing, which in its turn is generally more specialized in its posterior half, we con- 

 clude from the prominence of the v. scajmlaris, and its branch and cross-nervures in the wino- 

 which lie above, that they belong to the anterior wing, and that we view the insect from 

 above. In very strong confirmation of this view is the fact that the v. scajmlans of the wing 

 above lies outside of, and yet parallel to, the v. scajmlaris of the wing below, proving beyond 

 a doubt, that the upper is the anterior wing; for the v. scajmlaris of the posterior wing could 

 not lie outside of that of the anterior in any part of its course without crossing it or at least 

 being divergent from it. 



Pursuing, then, the same method of inquiry in regard to the other principal veins, 



1 See note 3 on p. 175, where these names are explained. 



