390 



ENTOMOLOGY 



cies taken from the noted Miocene beds of CEningen, nearly 

 one half were Coleoptera, followed by neuropteroid forms 

 (seventeen per cent.) and Hymenoptera (fourteen per cent.) ; 

 ants were twice as numerous in species as they are at present 

 in Europe. Almost half the known species of fossil insects 

 have been described from the Miocene of Europe. To the 

 Miocene belongs the indusial limestone of Auvergne, France, 

 where extensive beds in some places two or three meters 

 deep consist for the most part of the calcined larval cases of 

 caddis flies. 



At Florissant, as contrasted with CEningen by Scudder, 

 Hymenoptera constitute 40 per cent, of the specimens, owing 

 chiefly to the predominance of ants; Diptera follow with 30 

 per cent, and then Coleoptera with 13 per cent. Modern fam- 

 ilies are represented in great profusion. The material from 

 Florissant and neighboring localities includes a Lepisma, fif- 

 teen species of Psocidse, over thirty species of Aphididse, and 

 over one hundred species of Elateridrc, while the Rhynchoph- 

 ora number 193 species as against 150 species from the 



Tertiary of Europe. Tipu- 

 lidse are abundant and ex- 

 quisitely preserved, while 

 Bibionidse, as compared with 

 their present numbers, are 

 surprisingly common. Nu- 

 merous masses of eggs oc- 

 cur, undoubtedly sialid and 

 closely like those of Cory- 

 ciu J is. Sialid characters, in- 

 deed, appear in the oldest 

 fossils known, and are 

 strongly manifest through- 

 out the fossil series, though among recent insects Sialidae oc- 

 cupy only a subordinate place. Strange to say, few aquatic 

 insects have been found in this ancient lake basin. 



Fossil butterflies are among the greatest rarities, only sev- 



Prodryas persephonc, a fossil butterfly 

 from Colorado. Natural size. After 

 SCUDDER. 



