Kirlihy — Insect-remains from the Coal. 389 



less denuded immediately to the nortli, west, and south — the iron- 

 stone must occupy a position very near to the top of the Coal- 

 measures as developed in Durham and Northumberland. 



I have, fortunately, been able to submit the specimens to the 

 inspection of a good entomologist, Mr. T. J, Bold, whose observa- 

 tions thereon are freely used in the following brief descriptions. 



The specimens drawn on Plate XVII., Figs. 6, 7, evidently belong 

 to one species. The iirst is a very fine distinct example of the anterior 

 portion of the fore-wing of an Orthopterous insect, which in form and 

 neuration agrees generally with that of the recent genus Blatta ; but 

 although we have here the same produced, flattened fore-edge, much 

 the same shaped disk, and lobed inner angle, stiU the sculpture 

 between the nervures differs from that of the recent type, and 

 approaches more nearly to that of the Mantidce. 



It is not unlikely that this fossil may prove identical with one of 

 the species of Blatta or Blattina described by Germar ^ and Golden- 

 burg ^ from the Carboniferous strata of Wetting, in WestphaKa, and 

 Saarbriick, near Treves, good figixres of which I have not seen. To 

 one of these, Blattina primoeva, Jordan, it certainly approaches very 

 closely, so far as may be judged from the woodcut given by Dana in 

 his Manual of Geology, at page 357. 



The shuttle-shaped specimen, Plate XVII., fig. 8, is difficult to 

 determine. It approaches nearest in shape and neuration to the 

 abortive anterior wing of some of the Phasmidce, which are also 

 Orthopterous insects ; but it is impossible from such imperfect 

 materials to speak with certainty on its affinities. 



The combination of characters at present peculiar to distinct 

 generic types, which is exemplified in fig. 6 in its double affinity to 

 Blatta and Mantis, has been noticed previously in Palaeozoic insects. 

 Mr. S. H. Scudder has drawn attention to the fact, as being highly 

 characteristic, of some remains of insects found in the Devonian 

 rocks of New Brunswick, as well as of the other remains of the same 

 class from the Carboniferous strata of Illinois. He observes that 

 not only do some of these fossil species partake of the characters of 

 different recent genera and families, but sometimes they unite those 

 of two orders, as, for instance, those of the Orthoptera and Neuroptera. 

 Of course the existence of such synthetic types among the higher 

 articulates of the Palaeozoic period is only perhaps what might have 

 been foretold from a study of the more abundant fossils of other 

 groups of the animal kingdom. But still it is instructive to witness 

 the general tendency of discovery in paleeontology to render this 

 induction more clearly evident. 



The ironstone containing the fossils is compact and grey, and was 

 formerly wrought for smelting at a locality on the opposite bank 

 of the river. It contains great quantities of a small, fragile 

 fossil, which is almost disk-shaped or slightly ovate in outline, 

 resembling Estheria. It has been described under the name of 

 Ancylus f Vinti ; ^ but it is evidently bivalvular, and belongs either 



^ Miinster's Beitr., vol. v., pi. 13. ^ Dunker and von Meyer, Paltcon. vol. iv., p. 17. 

 3 Trans. Tyneside Field-Club, vol. vi., p. 221. 



