2 
THE NATURAL SCIENCE JOURNAL. 
1885. It was found at Poppasquasli 
Neck, in Bristol, R. I., and for several 
years its character w^as unknown. It 
was forwarded to the justly eminent en¬ 
tomologist, Prof. Samuel H. Scudder, 
for classification, and at the request 
of the discoverer it was named in 
honor of Prof. A. S. Packard, of Brown 
University, an eminent scholar in ento¬ 
mology. Its present name is Mylacris 
Pacardii. It remains in the possession 
of the writer. Most of the entomologi¬ 
cal specimens only embrace the wing, 
which alone in the case of insects, suffi¬ 
ciently withstands putrefaction. It be¬ 
longs to the genus Mylacris, and is at¬ 
tached to the Orthopteroidea, and its 
subdivision, Palaeoblattariae. It is thus 
described by Prof. Scudder. The 
wing is of a very large size for a Myla- 
cis, being longer than even Mylacris 
antiqua, but slenderer than it, and is re¬ 
markably like M. heri, in the narrowmess 
of the mediastinal area, which forms a 
rather narrow and nearly equal belt, 
wnich must extend nearly, or quite to 
the middle of the wing, and has five or 
six elongated scarcely diverging nervules, 
the outer of wffiich spring from near the 
base of the main stem.” He gives the 
probable length of the wdng as 42mm, 
and the possible breadth as 18. 5mm. 
He remarks : “It is interesting because 
it is the first fossil insect found in the 
New England coal field.” 
It deserves to be noticed that the re¬ 
mark of a young man in New Bedford, 
first suggested its zoological character. 
Several young men from Providence 
accompanied the waiter on geological 
trips, and largely increased the number 
of entomological specimens. Among 
them were Messrs Herbert Scholfield, and 
Frederick P. Gorham, now a Professor 
in Browm University. The associate 
labors of Mr. Christopher Williams 
were especially useful, in the same direc¬ 
tion. Tlie following are among the 
species discovered in New England, and 
all belong to the R. I. coal belt: 
Paralogus aeschnoides; Raphidiopsis 
diversipenna; Anthracomartus Wood- 
ruffi ; Etoblattina Gorhami; Etoblattina 
Scholfieldi; Etoblattina exilis ; Etoblat¬ 
tina reliqua; Etoblattina illustris; 
Etoblattina Clarkii; Gerablattina fra- 
terna; Gerablattina scapularis. 
A large number of the above w'ere 
taken from rocks removed in construc- 
ing a sewmr in Pawducket, to wdiich our 
attention wms first called by a visit of 
Prof. Shaler, of Harvard College. The 
importance of the “find” was deemed 
so great that a “Bulletin” was pub¬ 
lished by the government. No. 101, 
where the descriptions are given in full. 
In closing, permit us to encourage all, 
especially the young, in the pursuit of 
fossil fauna and flora. Beside the plea¬ 
sure receiveed, science is promoted, the 
mind is preoccupied with noble ambitions, 
and practical benefit oft results. 
ANTIQUATED PLAYTHINUS. 
It seems very odd to have unearthed 
the playthings as w^ell as the tablets and 
w'eapons of antiquity ; and yet among the 
objects found recently in the Assiobne- 
cropolis in Egypt wms a wdiole company 
of w'ooden soldiers, 15 inches in height. 
Tlie soldiers carry lances, and give a 
good idea of the style of military equip¬ 
ment prevailing in the time of the 
Pharaohs. 
