INSECTA. 269 



and LOCTJSTIDJE, in the Oxford stage of the 

 oolites of Bavaria. Gryllus, Gryllotalpa, and Locusta have 

 been found in the tertiary strata of Prance and in the 

 yellow amber of Prussia. 



Order COLEOPTERA (Beetles). Have the anterior pair 

 of wings developed into horny cases or elytra, under which 

 the posterior pair of membranous wings are folded. Their 

 skeleton is very solid : their mouth is provided with a pair of 

 maxillae and a pair of mandibulse, disposed for mastication. 

 This order is one of the most numerous at the present day, 

 and to it belongs many fossil insecta. 



At the .close of the palaeozoic epoch coleoptera existed. 

 CUECULIOKID^; were found in the carboniferous stage at 

 Coalbrook Dale. 



The inferior beds of the lias of Gloucestershire and 

 "Worcestershire have yielded many genera and species. 

 These are figured and described by the Rev. P. B. Brodie 

 in his valuable monograph,* to which we refer the student 

 for ample and interesting details. In a thin seam of 

 cream-coloured insect limestone, which lies at the base of 

 the liasic stage, that accurate observer found genera 

 belonging to the families BTJPEESTIDJE, CTTECIT.LIO:NTD.&:, 

 CAEABID^:, TELEPHOEIDJE, ELATEEID^;, CHETSOMELIDJE. 

 In a thin seam of limestone in the upper lias, many wings 

 of coleoptera associated with the remains of fishes have 

 been found. Prom the Stonesfield slate of Gloucestershire 

 were obtained genera belonging to -the families, PEIONID^, 

 BLAPSID^;, BUPEESTIDJE, CHEYSOMELID^;. 



Prom the lithographic schists of Solenhofen, Count 

 Minister and M. Germar have obtained and described fine 

 specimens of Cerambycinux, Buprestes, Scarabtmdes. In the 

 wealden of Wiltshire, Mr. Brodie found genera belonging 

 to the families CAEABID^E, STAPHYLIKTDJE, TEKEBEIO^IDJS, 

 HAEPALIDJS, ELATEEIDJB, CUECULIOXIDJS, CA^THAEIDJE, 

 HYDEOPHILID^;, HELOPHOEIDJE. 



* A History of the Fossil Insects of ,;he Secondary Rocks of England. 



