38 FOSSIL BUTTERFLIES. 



uppermost on the stone are impressed as we see them on the upper surface 

 of the wings of living Oreades, while those of the wing lying beneath (veins 

 which are plainly covered by the impressed nervures where the two come in 

 contact) are in relief, as seen on the under surface of the same butterflies; 

 that is, we have here the reverse of what would be the case, were we exam- 

 ining a living butterfly in this position. 



The parts before us are : a poorly preserved body, vague indications of 

 the terminal palpal joint, an antenna (probably a portion only), an unrolled 

 tongue, the hinder pair of legs and portions of the other pairs, the greater 

 part of the two front wings and fragments of the base of the hind wings. Of 

 the latter, no border remains and only the base of a few of the nervules, 

 which give scarcely any additional information as to the pterology of the insect. 

 The only portion of the margin of the front wings which can be determined 

 with certainty is the most essential part, the apex and the upper half of the 

 outer border of the left wing, enough to show that its general contour was 

 similar to that of the European Satyrids of the present epoch; but throughout 

 the remainder all the nervules can be exactly traced. This being then the best pre- 

 served portion of the insect, we will consider its structure in detail, subsequently 

 adding whatever can be gleaned from the examination of the other parts. 1 [The 

 account of the structural framework of the wing is given under the genus]. 



The basal two-thirds of the wing appears to have been more darkly clouded 

 than the other portions, although in this fuscous area there is apparently a 

 clearer space towards the upper, outer portion of the cell. There is also a 

 distinct, darker, uniform and equal rounded spot in the middle of the outer 

 two-thirds of the lowest subcostal interspace, nearly reaching the nervule on 

 either side ; in the specimen it appears to be broader than long by encroaching 

 upon the next interspace in front, but this is evidently only apparent, the spots 

 of the two wings (one of which I have stated to be a little in advance of 



1 It should flrst 1)6 premised that throughout this descrip- where the extremities of the costal and the first two upper 



tlon the fore wing will be spoken of as if it were perfect; for so brunches of the subcostal nervnres strike it. For those, thcre- 



completely are the essential parts preserved that one may feel a fore, who would follow the description with a severely critical 



strong degree of confidence as to the character of the remainder; eye, the illustrations we have given will correct any apparent 



scarcely any of the costal margin can be traced on the stone, and overstatement of the text, 

 yet one may describe with nearly absolute certainty the point 



