158 BRITISH APHIDES. 



"We may pretty safely infer that many of these ants 

 visited their favourite Aphides. Just as in Switzer- 

 land, these American Miocene times furnished large 

 carnivorous Syrphidas, the coloured patterns on whose 

 bodies and broad abdominal bands, are still clearly 

 recognisable. 



From some unknown cause the Homoptera are 

 better preserved in these deposits than the Heteroptera. 

 Aphides are common, and include probably eight 

 species,* all Aphidince, excepting a few referable to 

 Schizoneurinse. The details are amply sufficient to 

 decide the family or genera to which they ought to be 

 referred ; indeed, these specimens seem to be the most 

 perfect of all fossil Aphides yet discovered. 



The same paucity of larvos, of all sorts, to be noted 

 in the (Eningen beds, here also obtains. Almost all the 

 American examples of Aphides yet figured are winged; 

 and this leads to the supposition that large flying 

 swarms may have been suddenly entangled in a volcanic 

 mud shower, or in the downpour of some neighbouring 

 geyser, which mud, after precipitation into the lake, 

 carried them to the bottom, before decomposition of 

 their delicate texture. 



Lachnus is duly represented; and appositely amongst 

 the flora of this period we find such usual food plants 

 as Pinus, Juglans, Quercus, Carpinus, Betulus, Alnus, 

 Salix, and the like. 



There seems to be every probability that the waters 

 of this lake were fresh ; and both Mr. Lesquereux and 

 Mr. S. H. Scudder infer from the general fauna and flora 

 of Florissant that formerly a warm climate, like that 

 of modern Southern Italy, prevailed. 



Some doubts arc expressed by Mr. S. H. Scudderf as 

 to the exact age of these beds ; but the most competent 

 authorities seem to come to the conclusion that if they 

 are not so old as the early Miocene, they must be 

 placed in the middle section of that scries. No safe 



• Ibid., p. 293—293. 



t Vide S. H. Scudder, /. c, p. 300. 



