187D. 245 



INTRODUCTORY PAPERS ON FOSSIL ENTOMOLOGY. 

 BY HEEBERT GOSS, P.L.S., F.G.S. 



No. 6. 



ITesozoic Time. 



\_0n the Insecta of tlie Triassic Period, and the animals and plants with 



which they were correlated.'\ 



With the Triassic Period we enter on a new era in Geological 

 liistory, which is marked by the predominance of reptilian* life, and the 

 first appearance of mammals, and, probahli/, of birds. 



No insects have yet been discovered in the Triassic rocksf of the 

 United Kingdom, and although on the continent of Europe the Trias 

 is largely developed, especially in G-ermauy, only seven species have 

 been recorded from it. 



Of these seven species three belong to the Neuroptera, one to the 

 Orthoptera, and three to the Coleoptera. 



Two of the Neuroptera were discovered \rj Herr C. Ziuken,J in 

 the Bunter-Sandstein§ of Godewitz, near Salzmunde, and have both 

 been referred to the family Sialidw by Professor Heer, who has 

 placed them in an extinct genus — Chaidiodites — and named them 

 Chauliodites Ficteti and C. ZinTceni respectively. A third specimen, 

 recently obtained from the Keuper, has also been referred by Dr. Heer|| 

 to the same genus, and has been named by him Chauliodites helveticus. 



The only known specimen of Orthoptera^ from the Trias was 

 obtained from the Bunter-Sandstein of Trebitz. It belongs to the 

 family BJattidce, and has been described by Dr. Heer, who placed it 

 in an extinct genus — Legnophora- — and named it Girardi,aitev Professor 

 Girard, of Halle, in whose collection he discovered it. 



The three species of Coleoptera were obtained from the Keuper 

 of Vadutz, and have been severally named by Dr. Heer Glaphyropiera 

 Pterophylli, Curculionites prodroinus** and Chrysomelites Mothen- 

 bachi.ff 



* The whole of the Secondary or Mesozoio Period is frequently spoken of as "the age of 

 reptiles," 



t So few insects have been discovered in the rocks of this period, that it may seem un- 

 necessary to have devoted a separate paper to their consideration ; but, for the sake of preserving 

 uniformity of plan in this series of pajiers, I have thought it desirable to do so. 



t Vierteljahrsschrift der naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Ziirich ;note on p. 2791, 1864. 



§ The Trias, as its name implies, is divided into three distinct formations, which in Germany 

 are respectively named the Keuper, the Muschelkalk, and the Banter Sandstein. 



II Flora Fossilis Helveticas, p. 77. Taf. xxix, 1877 ; and Heer, in litt. 



i[ Vierteljahrsschrift naturf. Gesellsch. Zurich, antea cit., pp. 297, 298. 



** " Le Monde primitif de la Suisse," p. 99 ; and Neuer Denkschriften der schweiz. natur- 

 forsch. Gesellsch., xiii, 1853. Taf. vii. 



ft Flora Fo.ssilia Helveticse, p. 70. Taf. viii {Heev, in litt.) 



