Ch. Brongniart — New Fossil Insect from the Coal- Measures. 99 



11 



8 

 3 

 2 

 1 

 3 

 2 

 1 

 4 



2-50 

 1 

 7 

 32 



Protophasma, nov. gen. 



Protophasma Dumasii, 1 Ch. Brong. (Plate IV. Fig. 1.) 



Length. Breadth. 



Palpi 4 mill. ^ mill. 



Antennae 21 „ § 



Head 9 „ 6 



Prothorax 12 „ 6-50 



Mesothorax 11 „ 10 



Metathorax 11 „ 



Abdomen 95?,, 8 ,, at the base. 



f ( femur 16 „ 



1st pair | tibia 18 ,, 



( tarsus 10 „ 



I femur 16 ,, 



Limbs ^ 2nd pair < tibia 17 ,, 



( tarsus 8 „ 



I femur 22 „ 



3rd pair < tibia 22 „ 



^ ( tarsus 10 ,, 



Elytra 13 „ 



"Wings 85 ,, 



The head of Protophasma, like the rest of tbe body, is seen in 

 profile, and is of an oval form ; it is longer than broad. Only one 

 of the eyes is visible ; it is rather long and prominent. The antennas 

 are attached to the front of the head in the centre ; they are short, being- 

 only 21 mm. long. Tbis character of the antennas distinguishes the 

 fossil from tbe Phasmidce, properly so-called, and relates it to tbe 

 genus Cyphocrana. Tbe first joint is small and round ; the second 

 is larger, rather long, and increases in size at its distal end. I 

 cannot clearly define all the other articuli, but those which can be 

 seen distinctly are long, slender, and smooth. 



Tbe two palpi are well preserved ; they are composed of four 

 articulations almost of the same length ; but tbe last is smaller than 

 the others. One sees the upper labrum and one mandible ; but the 

 details cannot be clearly made out. The left mandible, which is 

 alone visible on tbe surface of tbe matrix, is broad at its lower part. 

 Amongst the insects of this family the thorax is divided into tbree 

 portions, tbe prothorax, the mesothorax, and the metathorax ; and 

 to each portion a pair of legs is articulated. In the living forms 

 (Phasma) the protborax is usually short, and it seldom in any case 

 exceeds the length of the mesothorax (Prisoptis) . In Protophasma 

 this section is longer than the mesothorax, in which character it 

 resembles Prisopus. 



The protborax is cylindrical, and expands near the head so as to 

 form a collar. It is the only part of the thorax which can be clearly 

 seen ; tbe other divisions are not so well preserved. 



Tbe abdomen, as already stated, is wanting in tbe fossil, but I am 

 enabled approximately to estimate its probable length. 2 In order 



From trpu>rov ' first ' and (paa-pa ' a spectre.' 

 For example : — Total length in millimetres 

 of living forms. 



10 



20 



15 



16 



Length of 

 the thorax. 



3 



6 



4-50 



5-50 



Length of 



the abdomen. 



7 



1350 



10 



11 



