APHIDES OF THE MIOCENE. 169 



3.— OBSERVATIONS ON THE ANCIENT APHIDES AS DEPO- 

 SITED IN THE TERTIARY BEDS OF CENINGEN IN THE 

 RHINE VALLEY, AND AT RADOBOJ, IN CROATIA, AND 

 DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES ON PLATE CXXXII. 



Considering the minuteness of the insects, these 

 Aphides are well preserved and represented. For a 

 comparison of modern with ancient forms I have 

 reproduced some of Heer's figures in Plate CXXXII 

 of this Monograph, and I here subjoin some short 

 abstracts of descriptions of the insects he names.* 



Good authorities have expressed their opinions that 

 names bestowed on fossil insects by the publication of 

 descriptions, without accompanying figures, rank as 

 mere catalogues or MS. names devoid of priority. 

 Doubtless without the inspection of the actual fossils 

 it is often hazardous to pronounce an opinion about 

 them authoritatively ; yet, if drawings are worth any- 

 thing, they ought to represent all the salient points of 

 generic value in a fossil if they are to be found in the 

 specimen. 



The impressions of the wing-veining are so perfect in 

 some examples that nearly as much information can be 

 got from them as from preparations in Canada balsam. 



Aphis (?) macrostyla, Heer. Plate CXXXII, fig. 2. 



Shining, with pallid abdomen; pronotum very short ; 

 mesonotum dilated at the sides. Cornicles very long, 

 length 1J lines. Wings If. Abdomen lX^. Cor- 

 nicles |. Locality, Radoboj. Museum at Vienna. 



The long nectaries are very distinct in this example, 

 and the wing-veining is normal, as with recent Aphides. 

 We cannot gather much from the antenna, as the last 

 joint is absent, but probably it was setaceous. This 



* ' Insectenfauna der Tertiargebilde von (Eningen und Radoboj in 

 Croatia,' Prof. O. Heer, Leipzig, 1853, p. 121, &c. 



