1966] 
Carpenter — Protorthoptera and Orthoptera 
59 
described below, I consider that the family Strephocladidae fits well 
within the order Protorthoptera and that Martynov’s order Strepho- 
cladodea is synonymous with the order Protorthoptera. The relation- 
ships of the family Strephocladidae within the Protorthoptera are 
not so definite. The little-known Strephoneuridae Martynov, from 
the Lower Permian of URSS, are closest in venational details so far 
as they are known; but only when the hind wings and body struc- 
tures have been found can these affinities be worked out satisfactorily. 
The most significant features of the Strephocladidae are the pres- 
ence of long, forked branches on Sc, and the long, parallel and nearly 
unbranched veins forming Rs, M, and CuA. The identity of most 
of the main veins is clear; Ri and CuA are strongly convex, and Sc, 
Ri and CuP are concave. The media does, as usual in the Protorthop- 
tera, present a problem ; it shows neither convex nor concave elements 
and is accordingly being designated here as M. In Strephocladus , 
Spargoptilon and the new genera herein described, CuA either arches 
anterior, touching M briefly (Spargoptilon) or connects with M by 
a stout cross vein; because of the convexity of all veins! included, I 
agree entirely with Dr. Kukalova’s interpretation that no branches 
of M are, in fact, involved in the CuA complex. The relationship 
between Rs and the anterior branches of M seems to be similar; 
in some species (Spargoptilon) there is slight anastomosis, but in 
others the connection is by a cross vein. These variations almost 
certainly occur as individual fluctuations within species. 
Apart from the general venational pattern, there are two features 
of the fore wings of strephocladids that deserve further comment. 
( i ) . Setae on veins. Most orthopteroids possess fine microtrichia on 
the wing membrane and their presence on the wings of Protorthop- 
tera is well known. The notable feature here is the presence of large 
setae on the veins, these being especially clear in t Homocladus. These 
are, of course, represented in the main by setal bases, the setae them- 
selves apparently being broken off in the rock matrix. These setae 
occur only on that half of the fossil (reverse) which has the impres- 
sion of the dorsal surface of the wing; the ventral surface of the 
wing was apparently devoid of such setae. Setae have previously 
been found on the veins of a few Protorthoptera but they have not 
previously been noted as occurring so abundantly or regularly. Neither 
microtrichia nor setae are visible on the type specimen of Strepho- 
cladus subtilis but this is almost certainly the result of poor preserva- 
tion of the fossil. (2) The costa, for a variable distance along the 
anterior margin, is actually sub-marginal for most of its length, there 
being a narrow but distinct, membranous border. This is a con- 
