42 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



vegetable remains, no remains of insects had been observed in 

 them. The species now described by Mr. Sendder, under 

 the name of Haplophlebiura Barnesii, after its finder, is 

 referred to the Epheraerina, and must have measured no less 

 than seven inches across the wings. " We can easily under- 

 stand," says Mr. Dawson, " that the swamps and creeks of 

 carboniferous Acadia, with its probably mild and equable 

 climate, must have been especially favourable to such crea- 

 tures, and we can imagine the larvaj of these gigantic 

 Ephemeras swarming on the deep black mud of the ponds in 

 these swamps, and furnishing a great part of the food of the 

 fishes inhabiting them, while the perfect insects, emerging 

 from the waters to enjoy their brief space of aerial life, would 

 flit in millions over the quiet pools and through the dense 

 thickets of the coal-swamps." Mr. Scudder describes four 

 insects from the Devonian shales of New Brunswick, under 

 the names of Platephemera antiqua, Horaothetus fossilis, 

 Lithentomum Hartii, and Xenoneura antiquorum. These 

 are the oldest insects yet known to us, but Mr, Scudder is 

 satisfied, from the plants with which they are associated, that 

 there can be no doubt of their belonging to the Devonian 

 period. They are all Neuropterous, and allied to the 

 Ephemeridae. In the opinion of Mr. Scudder, however, they 

 show a " remarkable union of characters now found in dis- 

 tinct orders of insects," and he lays special stress on the 

 presence in Xenoneura of a stridulating or musical appai-atus, 

 much like that of the cricket. In addition to the interest of 

 finding such an organ among the Neuroptera, this observation 

 brings before our imagination, as Mr. Scudder says, " the 

 thrill and hum of insect-life that enliveued the solitudes of 

 these strange old forests." 



Male of PsycJie Helix. — Psyche Helix is well known to 

 all entomologists as being one of those interesting species of 

 which the males long remained unknown. From the time of 

 Reaumur, naturalists have sought for it in vain. Von Siebold 

 especially examined a hundred and fifty specimens, which 

 all proved to be females. Latterly, indeed, one or two ento- 

 mologists have described insects which they supposed to be 

 the males of P. Helix, but there has always been a certain 

 amount of doubt about it. Prof. Clauss appears to have been 

 more fortunate. The larval case of the male (Zeits. f, VViss. 



