GEOLOGICAL ANTIQUITY OF FLOWERS AND INSECTS. 
43 
We find the general distribution of insects, in geological 
time, to be in the order we should expect from what has 
already been said. The oldest fossil insect is termed by 
Nicholson pseudo-neuropterous — a name which indicates its 
generalized character. This occurs in the Devonian rocks of 
North America, but the large size of wing of one of these fossil 
species (indicating an expanse of five inches) leads us to infer 
that these Devonian forms cannot be the oldest of winged insects. 
Mr. Scudder regards this earliest known insect as a u synthetic 
type that is, one which combines peculiarities of structure now 
distributed and specialized in different groups. In the Car- 
boniferous rocks many species of fossil insects have been met 
with. Among the Neuroptera we have a member of the Epheme- 
ridce or 66 May-flies ” larger than any now known, having an 
expanse of seven inches of wing. These are insects which pass 
the first stages of their existence as aquatic larvae. The 
Orthoptera are represented by very generalized forms of cock- 
roaches, crickets, and locusts. Beetles, however, are not yet so 
abundantly preserved. 
In the Secondary rocks large numbers of fossil insects have 
been found, and here beetles take the leading place. One great 
storehouse for them is the Lias bed at Schambelen, Switzerland. 
In England the Bhaetic beds have yielded a rich harvest, as 
may be seen by a reference to the work on British Fossil Insects 
by the Rev. P. B. Brodie. The Purbeck beds are also locally 
productive of many fossil species. No Hymenoptera have been 
yet found in the Rhaetic beds; but 29 species of Coleoptera , 12 of 
Neuroptera , 9 Hemiptera , and 7 Orthoptera from these strata 
have been described. Two species of beetles have been found 
fossilized in the Swiss Trias. Prof. Heer has discovered in the 
Liassic rocks of Schambelen no fewer than one hundred and 
forty-three species of fossil insects, which are distributed 
as follows : Coleoptera 116 species, Hemiptera 1 2, Hymenop- 
tera 1, Orthoptera 7 , and Neuroptera 7. The fossil beetles had 
even then been specialized into carnivorous types: others were 
leaf-feeding beetles. Some evidently lived on decaying wood ; 
but as yet there were none which are now known to haunt flowers. 
In the Stonesfield slate of England various fossil insects 
have been discovered. They are represented by large species of 
Neuroptera , such as dragon-flies, and various well differentiated 
genera of Coleoptera , already adapted to different kinds of food 
and habits of life ; but none of them are flower-frequenters. It 
was in this bed that the supposed fossil butterfly called Palceon- 
tina oolitica was met with. If this be a true butterfly there 
must have existed flowers at the time when the Stonesfield Slate 
was formed, according to the theory that flowers and Lepidoptera 
go together. The Purbeck beds were formed in a large 
