198 Dr. H. Woodward — On a New Lias Insect. 



of, for they closely resemble those observable in many species of 

 Neuroptera {Chauliodes, Nem-omus and Palpares), and they do not 

 appear to characterize the wings of Termites, which are uniform in 

 colour. Nevertheless, the late Prof. Oswald Heer, in his " Urwelt 

 der Schweiz" (Zurich, 1865) pp. 85-86, taf, vii., has noticed the 

 wing of a fossil insect from the Lias of Schambelen, Switzerland, 

 with an extremely similar venation to our specimen, and, — it is 

 also very interesting to notice, — with colour -markings preserved upon 

 its surface. This wing he names Calotermes mnculatus. He writes 

 as follows : — " At Schambelen six species of Termites have been 

 discovered. They agree with the existing species in the general 

 arrangement of the veins of their wings, but differ from them in 

 many other respects; so that they must be regarded as forming 

 peculiar extinct genera, of which I distinguish two. In one of 

 these {Clathrotermes signntus, Heer), pi. vii. tig. 8, the costal area 

 of the wing is divided by delicate transverse nervures, into a series 

 of quadrangular cells, and the wings are spotted with black ; in the 

 other [Calotermes) these transverse nervures are wanting, but the 

 wings are spotted with black in one species (C maculatus, Heer, 

 pi. vii. fig. 7) and PI. V. Fig. 4, or they have a dark costal area 

 (as in C. plagiatus, Heer, pi. vii. fig. 6). These dark spots and 

 bands are pecidiar to the Termites of the Lias ; for all the living 

 species have colourless wings. 1'he Liassic species, like those of 

 the present day, differ much in size; the smallest (C. troglodytes, 

 Heer) has wings only 3| lines long ; in the largest ( C. obtectns, 

 Heer), they attain a length of 9 lines" (English translation by 

 W. S. Dallas, London, 1876). 



The new Termite from Barrow-on-Soar is relatively so very much 

 larger than any of the remains from the Lias of Switzerland, 

 described and figured by Heer, that it cannot be referred to the 

 same genus, yet it evidently belongs to this peculiar group with 

 spotted wings. Therefore, although I am anxious to avoid the need- 

 less multiplication of generic names, I venture to refer our Lias 

 Insect to a new genus, Palcsotermes, very near to Heer's Calotermes, 

 with the distinctive specific name of Ellisii, by desire of Mr. Browne, 

 in recognition of his indebtedness to Messrs. Ellis, the owners of 

 the Lias Limestone pits at Barrow-on-Soar, who have, for many 

 years, given him special facilities in the prosecution of his researches. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE V. 



Fig. 1(7. Falceotermes Ellisii, H. Woodw., sp. nov. (enlarged twice nat. size) ; 

 from the Lower Lias {rimwrbis-zoue), Barrow-on-Soar,' Leicestershire. 

 One-half is preserved in the British Museum (N. H.), and the other 

 in the Leicester Museum. 



Fig. lb. Plan of wing of same, drawn separately, to show probable arrange- 

 ment of the nervures of the wing. X 2 times. 



Fig. 2. Detached wing of ChauUocles Japonicus, McL. x 2 times [ad nat.). 



Fig. 3. Detached wing of Termes angustatus. X 2 times {ad nut.). 



Fig. 4. Detached wing of Calotermes maculatus, Heer, from the Lias of Scham- 

 belen, Switzerland (copied from Heer's " Urwelt der Schweiz."). 



• The counterpart of this very beautiful Lias Insect has been kindly presented to 

 the British Museum (Natural History) by Montagu Browne, Esq., F.G.S., who has 

 placed the other half in the Leicester Museum. 



