Manclicster Mrinoirs, Vol. Ixi. (igi/). No. *i. 1 1 



XXXIXX., fig. 1 and 2, i8g4), must also be classed as 

 " Goldenbergia Vaillanti." 



Manchester Museum, Mark Stirrup Collection; Register 

 Xo., L5.557. 



Horizon. — Stcphanian. 



Locality. — Commentry (Allicr), Central France. 



Necy///}'Ioc/'i.\- Metiuieri. sp.n. PI. II.; figs. 3 — 5. 



This specimen has becomcd entombed with the j)ronotum 

 and wmgs still attached to the body. The latter is almost 

 wholly concealed, and but few traces of the segments of the 

 body can be distinguished. The ajiical portions of both 

 tegmina have been broken away, and the venation is somewhat 

 obscured by their overlapping in the middle line, and by a few 

 veins of the hind wings showing \\\\ through the tegmina. 



The total length of the insect from the front edges of the 

 pronotum to the broken edges of the v.'ing is 35 mm. About 

 one-sixth of the wing apex is missing, so that the total length 

 of the complete insect would be about 41 mm. 



The Pronotinu. — The pronotum at first sight is a most 

 unusual structure. It appears to be sub-rotund in outline, and 

 di\ isible into three parts, two stout reniform lateral areas show- 

 ing a surface ornament of transverse and anastomosing wrinkles, 

 and a somewhat circular central area, evidently much thinner 

 and membranous, and now much wrinkled, possibly by crushing. 

 The wing shoulders abut closely against the pronotum, the 

 latter appearing to have a well-clehned groove, into which the 

 wing bases fit closely. So closely are the wing bases apj)lied 

 to the ridges upon the pronotum that it would appear impossible 

 for them to be opened, except by thrusting the sides of the pro- 

 notum bodily forward. As the lateral sections of the pronotum 

 do not meet in the middle line, being separated by a short 

 interval, into which the thinner and probably yiliable central 

 j)ortion extends, this seems quite feasible. Nothing of this 

 character is known in any blattoid, living or fossil, and I was 

 wholly unable to regard this view of the structure as a correct 

 one. I therefore submitted the specimen to Prof. E. B. Poulton, 

 of the Hope Museum, Oxford, who, with his assistants, has 

 kindly subjected the s]>ecimen to a critical examination. As 

 a result of their examination and of experiments with the 

 tegmcn of PcripLaneta americana, they are satisfied that the 

 pronotum is complete with a rounded posterior border, which 

 underlies the bases of the wings, and has been crushed down 

 by them. The apparent socketting of the wings into the pro- 

 notum has been brought about by the wings being first dragged 

 backwards, and then thrust forward over the edges of the 

 pronotum. upon which they have since become impacted. This 

 certainly seems the most reasonable interpretation, and it is one 

 with which I agree. The [ironotum is therefore normal in shape, 



