io6 
Psyche 
[December 
that of the meganeurids, but, since the proximal half of the wing is 
unknown, I consider the family position uncertain. It is clearly not a 
member of the Paralogidae, where it was placed by Fraser (1957). 
The deposit in which this fossil was collected appears to be of upper 
Pottsville age corresponding to Westphalian C of the European classi- 
fication. 
Status of the Ordinal Name Protodonata 
I take this opportunity to discuss the status of the ordinal name 
Protodonata, in an attempt to clear up some of the confusion which has 
appeared in the literature in recent years. Handlirsch (1906b) first 
defined this group as an order in 1906 3 and he placed here three new 
Text figure 4. Drawing of Palaeotheratcs pennsylvanicus Handl. (holo- 
type). Lettering as in text figure 1. 
3 Much confusion has resulted from two, almost simultaneously published 
works by Handlirsch, both appearing in 1906. His Revision of American 
Paleozoic Insects (Proceedings of the U. S. National Museum, Vol. 29, pp. 661- 
820) is an English translation of a specially prepared account of the Paleozoic 
insects then known from North American deposits. New species, genera and 
higher taxa were described and illustrated. His Die Fossilen Insekten was 
published by Englemann in Leipzig in parts over a period of two years. The 
first part, consisting of pages 1-640, was published in 1906 (See Fossilium 
Catalogus , (I), Pars 16, 1922, p. 10). This part dealt with the Paleozoic 
insects and included, among the others, descriptions and figures of the 
North American fossils. That this work was published after the English 
account is shown by the references in Die Fossilen Insekten to specific pages 
in the Proceedings article. Unfortunately, many (but not all) of the species, 
genera and higher taxa already described in the Proceedings account were 
described again and designated as new in the larger, German treatise. 
In reality, the first designation of the Protodonata as an order was made 
in the Proceedings article mentioned above. The discussion of the character- 
istics of the order was essentially that given later in Die Fossilen Insekten , but 
only two genera, Paralogus and Palaeotherates , were actually mentioned as 
included in the order. 
