7*8 EXPLANATIOxN OF PLATE 46^'. 



Pigs. 4 — 9. Elytra of Insects in the Oolitic slate of 

 Stonesfield. Mr. Curtis considers all these to be- 

 long to the family Buprestis. (Original.) 



Fig. 10. Leg of an Insect in the Stonesfield slate, Oxon, 

 considered by Mr. Curtis to be that of a Curculio.* 

 (Original.) 



Fig. 11. A fossil Fly from the fresh water formation of 

 Aix in Provence, in the collection of Mrs. Murchison. 

 Mr. Curtis considers this Fly to be of the same spe- 

 cies with one of those engraved in Fig, 11 of his 

 Plate of Insects from this locality, in Jameson's 

 Journal, Oct. 1829, (Original.) 



Although it agrees with no living genus, he thinks 

 it undoubtedly belongs to the family of Tipulidae, 



the body of this animal, form a character wherein it approaches 

 nearer than the living Limulus to the structure of Trilohites. The 

 articulation of the long awl-shaped tail with the body in Fig. 3, and 

 in other specimens is very distinct. This Limulus is the Entomoli- 

 thus monoculites of Martin, (Petrifacta Derbiensia, Tab. 45, Fig. 4:.) 

 and Belinurus bellulus of Kbnig, (Icon. Sect. PI. XVIII. No. 230.) 

 M. Parkinson, Org. Rem. iii. PI. XVII. Fig. 18, has figured a similar 

 fossil from Dudley, in iron stone of the Coal formation. 



* Mr. Rr. C, Taylor mentions the occurrence of the wing covers of 

 Beetles in the shale of the Danby Coal pits, in the Eastern Moor- 

 lands of Yorkshire. This shale has nearly the same place in the 

 Oolitic series as the Stonesfield slate. See Loudon's Mag. Nat. Hist. 

 V. iii. P. 361. 



In the private collection of Dr. de Siebold at Leyden, I saw in 

 Oct. 1835, a most beautiful and unique specimen of a Buprestis, from 

 Japan, about an inch long, converted to Chalcedony. Even the 

 antennae and portions of the legs are distinctly preserved. 



In the same collection are fragments of silicified trees, bored with 

 tubular cavities, apparently by the larvas of animals of this kind ; 

 and within these cavities, a quantity of dust, produced by the boring, 

 was observed by M. Brongniart to be converted to Chalcedony. 

 From this circumstance we may conjecture that the perfect insect 

 was lodged in a similar tube, when it became transformed into Chal- 

 cedony. The surface of this Insect is covered with clusters of minute 

 concentric rings of Chalcedony (Orbicules of Brongniart) so com- 

 mon in silicified fossil shells. 



