96 G. F. MATTHEW ON THE OKGANIC EEMAINS OF THE 



and at nearly two-thirds of its length a third branch strikes off; these branches are straight 

 and simple, and are thrown off on the lower side of the vein, which forks again near the 

 apical margin. The interno-median vein is simple for two-fifths of its length, and then 

 throws oft" successively several forks toward the lower margin of the wing. The anal area 

 has a branching vein and an inner straight vein, running obliquely to the lower margin of 

 the wing. 



The cross-veins of the wing are obscure, and only a few can be made out. The scapular 

 vein is weak, and the costal margin comparatively wide. 



The lower margin and apical margin of this wing are not well shown, and the exact 

 outline there is doubtful. From the relief of the basal portion of the wing in the shale, the 

 wing is supposed to have c(jme from the right side of the insect. 



Size. — Length about 4 mm. ; width about 13 mm. 



Horizon and Localiti/. — In the dark gray shales of Plant bed No. 8, at Fern Ledges, 

 Lancaster, St. John County, N.B. 



On comparing this wing with Dr. Scudder's restoi'ation of Homothetus fosailis ' it seems to 

 the writer that a different interpretation might be given to some of the veins in the latter 

 than that suggested by the learned author of the species. By a dotted line he has tlirown 

 into the interno-median vein certain branches which in our species clearly belong to the 

 externo-median ; this dotted line, however, consists of an open row, which Dr. Scuddor 

 explains to mean a theoretical restoration ; and is to be distinguished from a row in which 

 the dots are small and close, and which means that the vein is visible but badly preserved ; 

 hence we are to infer that the description based on the row of open dots is open to amend- 

 ment. The transfer of the branches above referred to to the externo-median would render 

 such a change as the following necessary in the generic description of Homothetus fussilis for 

 " having only a few branches in the external quarter of the wing," read having branches in 

 the outer two-thirds of the wing. The venation is simpler in our species than in his. 



Since Dr. Scudder, some twenty-seven years ago, described the "Devonian" insect 

 wings found at St. John, and wrote on their affinities, extensive discoveries of insect wings 

 have been made in the Carboniferous rocks of Europe and the United States, which has made 

 necessary an entire recasting of the systematic arrangement of the insects of the Palseozoic 

 ages. The Carboniferous and older insect remains are now arranged as a separate division of 

 insects — the Palfeodictyoptera of Goldenberg, and this contains orders from which all the 

 modern insects (the divisions Heterometobola and Metobola) are descended. 



To show how important a bearing the few insect wings obtained from the Little River 

 group have on the classification of insects, an outline of Dr. Scudder's scheme, published in 

 the Bulletin 31 of the United States Geological Survey (in so far as it relates to our insects) 

 is published lijere. The two wings discovered by Mr. Wilson are inserted to give complete- 

 ness and bring it down to the present time. 



Division Palfeodictyoptera, Gold. 



Sec. 1. Orthopteroidea.— All are Carboniferous and Triassic, but the Little River genus, 

 Homothetus, exhibits strong affinities to the Protophasmidpe. 

 1. Palœoblattariœ. — Ancient cockroaches. 



Op. cit. p. 5 — woodcut. 



