THE 



eEOLOGIGAL MAGAZINE, 



NEW SERIES. DECADE III. VOL. IV. 



No. II.— FEBETTARY, 1887. 



(DIRXG-XISTJ^H, ^^I^TIOXiSS. 



I. — Some New British Carboniferous Cockroaches. 



By Henry Woodward, LL.D., F.R.S., P.G.S. 



rPLATE II.) 



THE early appearance in geological time of terrestrial Arthropods 

 has always been to me a subject of deep interest, and I have 

 been fortunate in noticing several of these in the pages of this 

 Magazine and elsewhere.^ 



The oldest insect at present recorded is the impression of an 

 Orthopterous Aving referred to the family Blattid^, obtained 

 from the Silurian sandstone of Jurques, Calvados, France, about 

 the horizon of the May Hill Sandstone (Middle Silurian). M. 

 Charles Brongniart, its discoverer, observes that what is especially 

 remarkable about this fossil, and which distinguishes it from all 

 other Cockroach-wings, living or fossil, is the length of the anal 

 vein, and the narrowness of the axillary area. 



This primitive insect has been named by him PalcBohlattina 

 Donvillei.' 



The occurrence of Cockroaches in the Coal-measures of Germany 

 (Wettin) was announced by Germar as early as in 1842.^ 



The only example heretofore met with in England was obtained 

 by Mr. James W. Kirkby (and described by him in tlie Geol. Mag. 

 1867, Vol. IV. PI. XVII. Figs. 6-8, pp. 388-390), from the Coal- 

 measures, opposite Claxheugh, near Sunderland; but little attention 

 seems to have been given to its discovery.'* 



By far the most important Memoir on Palaeozoic Cockroaches 

 which has yet appeared is that by Mr. Samuel H. Scudder, of 



^ See on Eophrynus {Cureulioides) Frestvici, Buckl. sp., Geol. Mag. 1871, Vol. 

 VIII. PL XI. pp. 38.5-388. 



On Architarbus subovalis, H. Woodw. op. cit. 1872, Vol. IX. PL IX. p. 38.5. 



On Brachypi/ge carboiris, H. Woodw. op. cit. 1878, Dec. II. VoL V. PL XI. p. 434. 

 [I described this form as a Crustacean ; but it has since been suggested to me by Mr. S. 

 H. Scudder that it was more probably the abdomen of an Arachnide nearly related 

 to Eophrynus. — H. W.] 



On Lithomantis carbonarius, H. Woodw. Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. Lond. 1876, 

 vol. xxxii. pi. ix. pp. 60-64. 



On Eoscorpiis cnrbnuarins, H. Woodw., op. cit. 1876, pi. viii. pp. 57-59. 



On " Spined Myriapods," Geol. Mag. 1887, No. I. p. 1. Pi. I. 



2 " Comptes Rendus," Acad, des Sciences, Paris, No. 29, Deer. 26, 1884. 



s See Miinster's Beitrage zur Petrefacteukunde, Stuttgart. 



* Mr. S. H. Scudder has since named it Etoblattina mantidioides, Mem. Boston 

 Soc. Nat. Hist. 1879, vol. iii. pt. L No. 3, pp. 72-73 (woodcut). 



DECADE III. VOL. IV. NO. II. 4 



