In the Secondary or Mesozoic epoch, called the age of reptiles, we 

 find the Triassic and Jurassic period, the latter named after the 

 mountain range of the Jura, on the western borders of Switzerland. 

 They consist of the two formations, the Lias and Oolite. 



The Lias contains the following remains : — Neuroptera, six 

 species; Orthoptera, three; Coleoptera, ii6; various Hemiptera, 

 and one or two doubtfully referred to Diptera. The Oolite forma- 

 tion is divided into lower, middle, and upper. The insects obtained 

 from the lower Oolite have, with two exceptions, been classified as 

 Coleoptera and Neuroptera. An interesting wing of a large species 

 was considered by Mr. Butler to belong to a Lepidopteron, and named 

 by him Pahcontina oo/itica, and confirmed by Professor Westwood and 

 other distinguished entomologists, but Mr. Scudder considers the wing 

 belonged to an insect allied to the Cicada. It is in the upper 

 Oolitic formation that fossil insects have been discovered in 

 abundance, so that the Purbeck beds in Dorsetshire, Wiltshire, and 

 Buckinghamshire have been named the "insect limestone." They 

 belong mostly to the orders Coleoptera, Neuroptera, Orthoptera, 

 Hemiptera, and Diptera, which last order is more numerous than in 

 any preceding formation. In the Solenhofer slate of Bavaria 114 

 species have been discovered, consisting of the following : — Coleo- 

 ptera, 29 species; Neuroptera, 46; Orthoptera, 11 ; Hemiptera, 16; 

 Diptera, 5 ; Hymenoptera, 5 ; and I-epidoptera, 2. 



In the Cretaceous period, although we are ascending the scale of 

 rock formation, very few insect remains have been found, and those 

 very imperfect ; there are about sixteen species of Coleoptera 

 recognised. Wood has been discovered perforated, supposed to 

 have been done by some Longicorn beetle of the period. 



Vegetation seems to have developed into new forms, thus herald- 

 ing the evolution of more numerous insect life. 



In the Tertiary or Cainozoic time, which is divided into Eocene, 

 Miocene, and Pliocene, there was a rapid development of dicotyle- 

 donous plants, and insects increased in abundance ; orders which 

 in previous ages were sparsely represented were now firmly estab- 

 lished (but mostly in the upper Eocene) ; about 1 20 genera are known, 

 and were distributed as follows : — Coleoptera, 50 ; Neuroptera, 3 ; 

 Orthoptera, 6; Hemiptera, 20; Diptera, 25; Hymenoptera, 11; 

 Lepidoptera, 10. 



In the Miocene period, which is divided into lower, middle, and 

 upper Miocene, insects of nearly all orders have been found, I will 

 not weary you with enumerating the species known of each order ; 

 sufifice it to say, that from one district in the valley of the Rhine 

 upwards of 5000 specimens have been obtained, consisting of 844 

 species. 



The Post-tertiary or Quaternary period, sometimes called the 

 Diluvial period, on account of the similarity of its flora and marine 

 fauna to the present age, would necessarily result in the evolution of 

 insects closely allied to our existing species, but, of course, the 



