8 Amials Entomological Society of America [Vol. X, 



tant orders did not appear until much later. The appearance of 

 the Coleoptera very early in the Mesozoic, with perfectly 

 characteristic elytra having sometimes quite modern-looking 

 color-patterns, is surprising and not at present to be explained. 

 The Diptera, Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera all came in later. 

 The Upper Mesozoic or Cretaceous strata have as yet proved 

 extremely poor in insect remains; less than fifty species are 

 known, and most of these are quite worthless objects. This is 

 very unfortunate, as it is probable that during this period 

 most of the modern families of insects had their origin. Nothing 

 would do more to throw light on the relationships of living 

 insects than the discovery of a rich Cretaceous fauna. It is 

 surprising that among the numerous Cretaceous plants, for 

 example in the Laramie of Colorado, where the preservation 

 is so good that it is sometimes possible to peel off the epidermis 

 of leaves, insects hardly ever occur. A Blattoid {Stantoniella) 

 was indeed found in the Judith River beds of Montana, but it 

 remains unique. An astonishing find was that of an apparent 

 Fulgorid {Petropteron) in the Pierre Cretaceous, a marine 

 formation, at Boulder, Colorado. It had fallen into the sea, 

 and been buried in the mud of the littoral zone. The most 

 hopeful discovery, so far, is that of a very good Trichopteron 

 {Dolophiliis, a genus still living) in Upper Cretaceous amber in 

 Tennessee. If an insect fauna can be found in this amber it 

 will be of extraordinary interest and value. 



Attention should be called to a very interesting paper by 

 Mr. R. J. Tillyard, published this year by the Queensland 

 Geological Survey. He describes a number of Australian fossil 

 insects, and in particular a supposed Lepidopteron, Dunstania 

 pulchra, from the Trias, said to be the oldest Lepidopteron 

 known. This has since been discussed by Meyrick, who con- 

 cludes that it may be Homopterous, but cannot be Lepidop- 

 terous. As he remarks, the thickened wing-margin is unlike that 

 of Lepidoptera. There is certainly a suggestion of a Cicada-like 

 form in the region of the cubitus. 



The Tertiary epoch represents perhaps four million years, 

 certainly much less than half the Mesozoic. At the close of the 

 Mesozoic there was an uplift similar to that marking the 

 Permian, and during Tertiary time this has been maintained, 

 with minor oscillations, while the continental climates in north 

 temperate regions have become colder and more arid. Thus 



