T. D. A. Cocker ell — Descriptions of Tertiary Insects. 383 



truncate apically, and with its lower side divided into three 

 sections. The media and cubitus appear to be formed much as in 

 Panorpa, and are connected by cross-veins, as shown in fig. 4. 

 Their distal parts are obscured. There are two very strong 

 but short curved anal veins, running downwards to the lower 

 margin (much as in llerope, but shorter and more curved). 



Eomerope tortriciforniis Ckll. 



Fig. 6. Venation of hind wing, showing branches of radia. sector. 

 Fig. 7. Venation of costal region of anterior wing toward apex. 



Venation of hind icings. — This cannot be wholly made out, 

 but fig. 6 shows the discal region. The branches of the radial 

 sector enclose a long cell much as in the anterior wing. 



Hah. — Miocene shales of Florissant, 1907 ; doubtless from 

 Station 14, but the specimen is not marked with any number 

 or collector's initial. Holotype in Yale University Museum. 



This is one of the most puzzling fossil insects I have had 

 occasion to describe, but I believe it is correctly assigned to 

 the Mecaptera. The form of the wing, with the strongly con- 

 vex costa and numerous costal cells, is very different from that 

 of Panorpa, Bittacits, etc., but the isolated and peculiar 

 Merope, of the eastern United States, shows an approach to 

 this condition, the costal area being broad, and some of the 

 cells divided into two. On the other hand, the apical struc- 

 tures of the abdomen in Eomerope do not resemble those of 

 Merope, but are even more simple than Bittacus, showing 

 resemblance to the doubtless more primitive condition found 

 in the Trichoptera. There is no particular resemblance to the 

 Mesozoic Orthophlebidse. 



liandlirsch divides the modern Mecaptera or Panorpatse into 

 four families : Bittacusidse, Panorpidse, Meropidse, Boreiclae. 



