ItfSECTA. 267 



The insect limestone of the lower and upper lias of 

 Gloucestershire, the limestones of the Oxford stage of 

 Solenhofen, and the wealden beds of "Wilts, have yielded 

 beautiful specimens of wings. Many genera of this order 

 are preserved in the tertiary strata, and entire specimens are 

 enclosed in amber. 



Order LEPIDOPTERA (or Butterflies). Have the mouth 

 provided with a long proboscis coiled into a spiral form; 

 they have four wings clothed with microscopic scales 

 attached to the membrane by a pedicle: the lithographic 

 limestones of Solenhofen contain the impressions of a genus 

 of this order. A few wings have been found in the tertiary 

 strata of France : they are rare in amber. 



Order HEMIPTERA (or Bugs). Are suctorial insects, pro- 

 vided with an articulated proboscis. They have four wings: 

 the anterior pair are in part indurated : the posterior pair are 

 membranous : their remains are found with the preceding. 



Order HYMENOPTERA (or Bees). Kemarkable for the 

 social instincts of many of its families, have four transparent 

 membranous wings, and a firm tegumentary skeleton : they 

 are found with the preceding orders. 



Order NEUROPTERA (or Dragon-flies) . Have four nearly 

 equal wings, the nervures or framework of which are well 

 developed ; their integuments are delicate, and most of 

 their larvae are aquatic. One genus, Corydalis, is found in 

 the carboniferous stage of Coalbrook Dale. In the lower and 

 the upper beds of the liasic stage in Gloucestershire and 

 "Warwickshire numerous beautiful wings of J&shna have 

 been found. The annexed figure is from a specimen obtained 

 from the lower lias near Bidford in Warwickshire, and 

 described by H. E. Strickland, Esq.* Pig. 178 shows the 



FIG. 178. Fossil wing of ^Eslina liassina. Strickland. 

 Magazine of Natural History, new series, vol. iv. p. 302. 



