154 ME. F. W. EDWARDS OIS T OLIGOCENE [vol. lxxix., 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE VII. 



[Figs. 1-4 by H. G-. Herring ; 5-7 by Dr. E. S. Bassler.] 



Fig. 1. Culex protorhirius Cockerell? 1.10272. A male showing mouth- 

 parts, banded abdomen, and hypopygium. See also text-fig. 3, c & d. 

 The proboscis and palpi were further exposed after the photograph 

 was taken. X 4. (See p. 148.) 



2. Aedes protolepis (Cockerell). I. 9754. Well-preserved wing (pro- 



bably female) showing vein-scales. See also text-fig. 2 c (p. 145).. 

 X 4. (See p. 142.) 



3. Aedes protolepis (Cockerell). I. 17164. Female showing proboscis,- 



palpi, and pointed abdomen. X 10. 



4. Aedes protolepis (Cockerell). I. 9629. Male showing mouth-parts 



and antennas. The photograph does not bring out the hairs on the- 

 palpi, which are well preserved in the specimen and are shown in. 

 text-fig. 1/ (p. 144). X 10. 



5. Culex protorliinus Cockerell. Type. X 6. 



6. Culex petrifactellus Cockerell. Type. X 6. 



7. Culex protolepis Cockerell. Type. X 6. 



Discussion. 



Dr. F. A. Bather said that the Geological Department of the 

 British Museum considered itself most fortunate in having its 

 specimens of fossil mosquitoes studied by such an expert as the- 

 Author. It had been very difficult to persuade entomologists to 

 deal with the obscure and imperfect remains that too often repre- 

 sented fossil insects ; but a beginning had been made, and to the 

 Author and others they were very grateful. In attempting to 

 account for the rich and varied insect-fauna of the Grurnet-Bay 

 Oligocene, someone had imagined poisonous gases rising from sub- 

 marine fumaroles and stupefying the insects that flew over the 

 lagoon. What did the Author think of that ? 



Mr. A. H. Williams remarked that he understood that the 

 vast numbers of mosquitoes in the far North depended upon 

 vegetation, whereas the Author appeared to imply that mosquitoes 

 generally were dependent on animal life. 



Dr. W. D. Lang joined with the former speakers in con- 

 gratulating the Author on his illuminating paper. He wished 

 to draw attention to what he thought was a significant fact 

 brought out in the paper, namely, that each of the three Culicine 

 genera found in the Oligocene represented one of three groups 

 of Culicine mosquitoes occurring at the present day. These 

 groups had been determined in recent species, as now in fossil 

 forms, by imaginal characters. But the speaker had elsewhere 

 shown that the recent British Culicines fell into the same three 

 categories on larval characters also, even on those of the first 

 instar ; and that therefore the three groups diverged early in 

 Culicine phylogeny — a suggestion now corroborated by the 

 appearance of all three as far back as the Oligocene. 



Dr. Marie Stopes said that this interesting account of fossil 

 mosquitoes reminded her of some Japanese fossil mosquitoes 



