THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Vol. XI.] 



SEPTEMBEE, 1878. 



[No. 184. 



NOTES ON A FOSSIL WING OF A DRAGONFLY, FROM 

 THE BOURNEMOUTH LEAF BEDS. 



By M. Goss, F.L.S., F.G.S. 



Eight fore wing of a Species ot Libellulidce, 



That insects made their appearance al a comparatively 

 early period of the world's history is proved by the vast 

 antiqnity of the oldest geological formations in whicii their 

 remains have been discovered; and the researches of the 

 geologist and palaeontologist have furnished conclusive 

 evidence that ages before the existing families of the 

 Vertebrata had come into being most of the family types of 

 the Insecta were abundantly represented, and had obtained 

 a wide geographical distribution. 



It may, at first sight, seem almost incredible that the 

 remains of any animals of so delicate and fragile a nature as 

 insects could be preserved for centuries in a sufficiently 

 perfect state as to be recognisable at the present day. Not 

 only, however, have the wings and wing-cases of thousands 

 of insects been discovered in such a state of preservation as 

 to admit of their identification with those of existing orders, 



2c 



