464 
Psyche 
[December 
Although specimens found in deposits other than Commentry 
are the better preserved, the Commentry material contributes some 
very interesting morphological details. Both Breyeria lachlani and 
Breyeria boulei show clusters of long hairs, in a dense pattern and 
extending along the anterior part of the proximal half of the wing 
membrane, long hairs at the wing base, and a border of long hairs 
along the anterior and posterior margins of the wing. In lachlani 
clusters of hairs have been observed also arising from some of the 
circular light spots in the cua-cup area. 
The short hairs on the wings are now well known in Palaeodic- 
tyoptera. They are common on veins and cross veins, and in some 
families, as Dictyoneuridae, a dense covering of hairs can be seen 
over the entire wing and body surfaces. Clusters of long hairs on 
the wing base were found also in the related family Homoiopteridae ; 
similar hairs were noted in Archaemegaptilidae along the basal part 
of C, Sc and Cu. However, as far as I have been able to determine 
from the Commentry specimens, long hairs in clusters on the wing 
membrane and along the wing margin occur only in the Breyeriidae. 
In other Breyeriidae, outside of the Commentry deposit, traces of 
hairs have been described on the basal part of the costa, and the 
posterior wing margin, as in Breyeria barborae (Kukalova, 1959) 
but the hairs themselves were not preserved. The clusters of long 
hairs on the wing membrane might be macrotrichia serving as 
sense organs, an hypothesis which seems to be supported by their 
presence in the light spots, which are actually cuticular thickenings 
of the wing membrane (Carpenter, 1967, p. 61). 
Wings of large size, broad, equal in length, the hind pair broader. 
Sc shortened. Stems of R and M approaching or touching near 
the base. Branches of main veins few, widely separated from each 
other. CuA and MA simple; MP forked; CuP usually with a 
fork. Hind wings often broadly triangular in shape. Cross veins 
numerous, thin, irregular, often connected by anastomoses. 
The family Breyeriidae seems related to the Graphiptilidae on 
the basis of the small rs area, simple MA and CuA, the few 
branches of MP and CuP, the presence of numerous long, fine 
cross veins and the triangular shape of the hind wings. Small 
circular spots frequently occur in color patterns of both groups. 
Genera included in the Commentry shales: Breyeria Borre, 
1875; Megaptiloidcs Handlirsch, 1906. 
Other occurrences: Breyeria Borre ( Westphalian-Stephanian of 
Europe, Westphalian of North America) ; Stobbsia Handlirsch 
(Westphalian of England). 
