148 BRITISH APHIDES. 



the Wealden [Purbeck] Beds of Wilts, in the Vale of 

 Ward our. At another time he referred to similar forms 

 taken from the Purbeck Beds in the neighbourhood of 

 Swindon, Wiltshire. Remains of the insects, which 

 were found in plenty, comprised examples of Coleo- 

 ptera,. Trichoptera, Diptera, many Hemiptera, and one 

 Libellula. 



In 1845 the Rev. F. W. Hope described several 

 insects discovered at Aix, in Provence, and amongst 

 these he shortly noted a specimen (marked No. 85) 

 " as a mass of insects resembling Aphidse."* 



About this time Dr. Mantell indicated the occurrence 

 of numerous insects in the stone quarries of Hartwell, 

 Bucks, and also very similar remains in the shales near 

 Tunbridge and Maidstone. These fragments chiefly 

 consisted of Coleoptera, but I find no Homoptera 

 mentioned in his list. 



In the above-cited work of Mr. Brodie, figures are 

 given of seventy-four species of insects, selected from 

 239 specimens found in the Wealden [Purbeck]. The 

 insect limestone of Wainlode (Rhastic), which is about 

 one foot thick, furnished him with many well-preserved 

 examples. Of all these, three only can be fairly referred 

 to Aphis, and of them only one (No. 6) can be considered 

 as undoubtedly belonging to that family. It is named 

 by Brodie Aphis valdensis, and I have figured the speci- 

 men, PI. CXXXII, figs. 4 and 5. The veining of the 

 only wing preserved, at the side of the fossil, is well 

 marked ; and it sufficiently characterises the genus. 

 Nos. 6, 9, and 10 of the same list are named by Brodie 

 Aphis 'plana and A. dubia, but the remains are too 

 fragmentary for useful identification of the species. f 



Many of these fossil species are of microscopic 

 dimensions ; and Mr. Brodie calls attention to the fact 

 that the greater part of the insect remains which ho 

 found, both in the Lias [Rha)tic] and the Wealden 

 [Purbeck], are of a "most diminutive character." 



* ' Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond.,' p. 252, vol. iv, 18-15. 



f ' Fossil Insects of Secondary Rocks of England,' pp. 33—120, 1839. 



