1903 Compiling County Faunas — Insects 309 



equally, the fore- and hind-limbs tending to be at the same 

 stage. In one or two groups it seems that the fore-limbs 

 have a tendency to persist longer than the hind-limbs. 

 The scapular arch remains long after the degeneration 

 and loss of the fore-limbs, before it degenerates itself, 

 while the pelvic arch degenerates previously to the loss 

 of the hind-limb. 



The various parts of the scapular arch degenerate in 

 the following order: — (1) limb; (2) interclavicle (generally); 

 (3) costal attachment ; (4) sternum. 



The order of disappearance of the parts in the pelvis 

 is: — (1) pubis and ischium together (generally); (2) limb; 

 (3) ilium. 



" The conclusion that the rudimental condition of arches 

 and limbs is due to degeneracy is supported by palaeonto- 

 logic evidence, which shows that the ancestral orders of the 

 Reptilia (Cotylosauria and Theromora) had well-developed 

 limbs. Similar evidence shows that the Sauria and Ophidia 

 had a common ancestor." 1 



Compiling County Faunas — Insects. 



By Claude Morley, F.E.S. 



INTERESTING as it would be to trace back, wherever such a 

 course were possible, all those varied and strange forms of 

 animal life that have at some past period in historic and 

 prehistoric time existed within a given radius, the difficulties 

 are so great that the palaeontology of our individual counties 

 is very imperfectly known, and we find it a sufficiently 

 laborious task to come at those species which are still to be 

 found within its limits. Since the collating of local cata- 

 logues of this nature is one of the objects which should be 

 of primary care in our naturalists' field clubs, a word from 

 one win 1 has done some little work in this direction may 

 not be without interest to those contemplating a similar 

 study. 



And in all the animal kingdom no group is more exten- 

 1 Cope, Crocodiles, Lizards, and Snakes, p. 206. 



