No. 14. — Tlic Devonian Insects of New Brunsivick. 

 By Dr. H. A. Hag en. 



Having lately had occasion to examine anew the venation of Neurop- 

 tera with special reference to their affinities with the older fossil insects, 

 I have made a detailed comparison of the majority of the types of the 

 Devonian Insects with the Nenroptera and Pseudoneuroptera of the pres- 

 ent dav. The conclusions at which I have arrived from this study are 

 radically different from the views entertained by Mr. Scudder. I have 

 thought that the simplest method of presenting my views would be to 

 give them in the form of a detailed review of the last memoir on the 

 subject by Mr. Scudder. 



This memoir is a part of the " Anniversary Memoirs of the Boston 

 Society of Natural History," 1880, 4to, p. 41, Plate I. The fragments 

 of the six described insects were discovered in 18G2 by the late Prof. 

 C. F. Hartt, and are considered to be the six oldest known fossil insects. 

 They are especially interesting, not only as the most ancient representa- 

 tives of their class yet discovered, but as (p. 30) " nearly all are syn- 

 thetic types of a comparatively narrow range," filling in some way the 

 gaps between more or less widely separated families and orders of the 

 actually existing insects. Indeed, four of them are reported to belong 

 to new families, all of a synthetic character : Atocina, Homothetidce, 

 Cronicosialina, Xenoneuridee. The prominent value of those fragments 

 justifies a large number of more or less detailed communications by the 

 same author since 18G5, which are now followed by this very elaborate 

 memoir, with entirely new and improved figures, and with a number of 

 important conclusions as the final result of his work. It must be 

 acknowledged that these conclusions would be of the greatest impor- 

 tance for the history of the evolution of insects, if the descriptions, the 

 determinations, and the statements by the author could be accepted 

 without any further reserve. Of course, they must be able to stand the 

 most severe tests, if they are to be accepted. The obvious importance of 

 these questions, and the fact that I have studied through many years 

 the living and fossil insects of the families to which these fragments 

 belong, may explain why I give here in detail the result of my studies, 

 and my objections to the views of the author. Science needs truth, and 

 consists in truth. Otlierwise no advance in the solution of the great 



VOL. VIII. — NO. 14. 



