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FROM THE BRITISH COAL MEASURES. 



49 



This nodule was deposited in the Derby & Mayer Museums at 

 Liverpool, and has been placed in my hands by the courtesy of the 

 Curator, Dr. J. A. Clubb. 



The larger half of the nodule has lost a portion of one end, 

 which contained the tip of the right wing. The proximal third of 

 the left wing remains with its dorsal surface uppermost, and its 

 ventral surface closely applied to that of the right wing. It 

 is quite evident that the whole of the two wings were contained 

 in the nodule ; but, when the latter was being split open, a thin 

 film of ironstone carried away the middle and distal portions of the 

 left wing. The impression of the dorsal surface of the greater part 

 of the left wing remains upon one half of the nodule, and this, 

 combined with the portion of wing remaining on the other half 

 of the nodule, enables one to determine with accuracy almost the 

 whole of the wing structure. 



One unusual feature in the preservation of the wings is that they 

 lie with their ventral surfaces apposed. To bring the wings into 

 this position, one must have become bent under the body, instead of 

 falling sideways or above the back of the insect. The body of the 

 insect would thus, if the wings still remained attached, come to lie 

 between the two. No trace of the body can be seen ; but the left 

 wing has a deep inward flexure, such as it would naturally acquire 

 if the body had been carried round with the right wing and pushed 

 up into the anal area of the left wing. Had the insect's body been 

 carried round in the way suggested, the right wing would not 

 coincide in position with the left, but be thrust farther out. This 

 latter is actually the case, the outward displacement of the right 

 wing as compared with that of the left being at least 20 mm. 



The two wing-fragments are quite sufficient to show that, while 

 the complete structures were comparatively short in length, they 

 were yet remarkably wide from front to back. In this respect they 

 are unlike the wings of any known Coal-Measure insect, and would 

 seem to indicate a heavy-bodied insect, with slow but powerful 

 flight. The frontal third of each wing is supported by strong 

 and fairly rigid veins, which^become more slender as they pass 

 outwards. The hinder margins of the wings are more mem- 

 branous, and were evidently lacking in a rigidity equal to that of 

 the frontal third. 



Left wing. — A little more than the proximal third of this wing 

 is present, and in good preservation. It is 42 mm. long, and 

 about the same in width across the anal region. The impression 

 on the other half of the nodule shows all but the tip of the wing. 

 The main trunks of the costa, sub-costa, radius, and median are 

 stout structures, standing out in good relief from the wing-surface. 

 The cubital and anal veins are but half the thickness of the former, 

 and lie sunk in shallow grooves. 



The costal vein forms the anterior margin of the wing, which is 

 slightly convex forward, and slopes gently backwards as it passes 

 outwards to the apex of the wing. The sub-costa is separated from 

 the costa by an interval of 4 mm., and passes almost in a straight 



Q. J. C. S. No. 285. E 



