89 



Brodie, Messrs. "W. and H. Binfiekl, the Eev. 0. Fisher, 

 Captain Woodley, and others, have principally been in the 

 Secondary Eocks, especially in the Middle and Lower Purbecks 

 of the Upper Oolite, and in the Lias ; whereas on the Continent 

 of Europe as much attention appears to have been bestowed on 

 the formations of the Tertiary epoch as on those of any other 

 period ; and besides, on the Continent, investigations have been 

 carried on for a much longer peiiod and by a far greater number 

 of persons. 



British Strata. 



Miocene. 



In the list of fossil insects at the end of Mr. Brodie's paper 

 on the "Distribution of Fossil Insects, &c.," I find recorded 

 '• chjtra of two species of beetles from the Miocene formation in 

 the neighbourhood of Antrim, Ireland." These beetles are also 

 mentioned by Professor Judd, F.K.S., in his paper on the 

 volcanic Rocks of Scotland. 



Mr. Pengelley, F.R.S., in a paper in the IJoj-al Societys 

 Proceedings, states that -when Professor Heer Avas in England lit- 

 devoted a few days to the deposits of Bovey Tracey, in Devonshire, 

 and that amongst the remains from these strata he obtained one 

 beetle — Bupredes Falcoiieri. This insect, observes ^Ir. Pengelley,, 

 was the first evidence of animal life which had been obtained from 

 this deposit. 



Upper Eocene. 



In the XI. Vol. of "Nature," for December, 1874, is a letter 

 from a Mr. E. I. A'Court Smith recording the discovery by him, 

 ni Gurnet Bay, Isle of Wight, " of a bed of insects, flies and 

 gnats, and the larva? and pupte of the latter — the larvaj in countless 

 thousands ; also the wings in great numbers of a variety of flies, 

 butterflies, grasshoppers : also a wing resembling that of a mole 

 cricket ; likewise two or three beetles." 



A sample of this collection is at present in the possession of 

 Dr. Henry Woodward, F.R.S., and by his courtesy I have had an 

 opportunity of inspecting it. 



