Coleoptera, by virtue of their hard and less perishable elytra, are 

 found to be more numerous than other orders. 



When we speak of a fossil insect we generally picture an insect, 

 or parts of one, embedded in a sedimentary rock, rather difficult to 

 see, and only found when the rock happens to split where the insect 

 is entombed. They must necessarily be very imperfect on account 

 of their fragile nature, and it is usually only the harder parts that 

 are preserved ; fortunately Nature has preserved some in a better 

 material — the gum which exuded from the trees around which they 

 flew or crawled. I refer to amber, and before showing you some 

 specimens of the insects it would, perhaps, be well to make a few 

 remarks upon the subject of that curious fossil. It is the gum of 

 an extinct coniferous tree {Pi?iifes succenifer) found in the Tertiary 

 and Diluvial formations. According to Pliny it was called by the 

 Greeks " Electron," whence we derive our modern word electricity. 

 It is found principally on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea after 

 stormy weather, being washed up from the bottom, and occasionally 

 round our own coasts. A very fine specimen was fished up last 

 November, and when sold in London realised the sum of ^27 10^. 

 for the fortunate fisherman. 



The enterprising German has found out a way of obtaining amber 

 in larger quantities than searching for it on the beach, and that is 

 by mining for it, and now a very extensive industry is carried on in 

 various parts of the coast, principally in Konigsberg. It will not 

 interest us much to inquire into the statistics of the annual output, 

 which is very extensive and of considerable value. It is found in a 

 kind of blue clay-like earth into which, when in a semi-liquid state, 

 it dropped. Whilst in this condition, and exuding from the trees, 

 various insects came into contact with it, and on account of its 

 adhesive nature became fixed and unable to make their escape ; of 

 course they would struggle to get away, and damaged themselves 

 considerably, therefore I am unable to show you any very perfect 

 specimens, and moreover all parts of the insect will not be equally in 

 focus like a modern microscopic slide. This fact must be my excuse 

 for the imperfection of some of the pictures. 



In obtaining these photos., which, by-the-bye, are taken through the 

 microscope, I have aimed at getting the focus of the most striking 

 and interesting parts. To get the best efi'ect I have in my own 

 specimens cut and polished the piece of amber parallel to the part 

 of the insect to be shown, but several of my pictures are taken from 

 borrowed specimens, which, of course, I was not permitted to cut up. 

 For some of my best I am indebted to Mr. Weingott the well-known 

 amber merchant, who very kindly lent me his beautiful collection for 

 this purpose. 



There are various gums which to the uninitiated look like amber. 

 I have a specimen of gum anime ; it is a fossil gum, but not true 

 amber. It is not the exudation of a pine, but comes from the 

 locust tree {Jfymencea martiana) and other species of Hymencea 



