294 Messrs Murchison and Lyell on the Tertiary 



Hemiptera ,• the next in number are the Coleoptera : there are 

 a few Hymenoptera, and but one Lepidopterous insect. With 

 the single exception of the Hydrobius, none of the species are 

 aquatic. 



As in a larger collection of species the proportions of the dif- 

 ferent orders might be greatly altered, I forbear to draw any 

 inference as to the climate from the present assemblage, parti- 

 cularly as I have not had the opportunities of M. Marcel de 

 Serres of examining large collections of these fossil remains. I 

 see nothing, however, in the character of the insects to warrant 

 the supposition of a higher temperature than that of the south 

 of France, although I am informed that some of the associated 

 plants resemble those from tropical regions. 



Several of the beetles have their wings extended beyond the 

 elytra (Figs. 2. and 3.), as if they had been flying, and had 

 dropped ; and a Chrysoniela (Fig. 4.) has the elytra expanded, 

 from which it would appear that it had fallen upon the water, 

 and been drowned. Other insects, however, (as in Figs. 7, 9, 10 

 and 11.), seem to have been imbedded whilst in repose, or when 

 walking, and the dislocation of the members of some may have 

 been caused in certain instances by violent pressure, and in 

 others I should be more inclined to attribute it to decomposi- 

 tion. 



On reviewing the whole collection, it appears probable that a 

 great portion of the materials have been brought together from 

 different localities by floods, mountain torrents, and rivers, al- 

 though it cannot be denied that tliere is no insect amongst 

 them that might not be found in a moist wood. 



Although there are sufficient characters preserved to deter- 

 mine with certainty the genera to which many of the insects 

 belong, the parts that would best accomplish this are very in- 

 distinct, the antennae, the tarsi, and trophi, being generally very 

 obscure or distorted ; yet in a few the claws are visible, and 

 the sculpture, and even some degree of local colouring, are pre- 

 served in several of them ; but all pubescence seems to be obli- 

 terated, except on thn head of a fly, (Fig. 12.) 



I have not attempted to name the insects, as I question the 

 utility. If, however, it should be deemed necessary, those na- 

 turalists who reside where the fossils are found will be the best 

 able to assign to them their proper names, as they will have it 



