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used up, the crude borneol is precipitated by water, washed till free from alkali, dried by pressure between cloth or filter-paper, and purified by crystallization from ligroine.

Finally, I would add that sodium amalgam reduces an alcoholic solution of camphor, although the action is so slow that it is of no value as a practical method, the melting-point being raised only to 183 by action during two weeks, part of the time on the water-bath. The fact however deserves mention, because in Beilstein's Handbuch, p. 1763, it is stated that sodium amalgam does not act on camphor.

X.

DICTYONEURA AND THE ALLIED INSECTS OF THE CARBONIFEROUS EPOCH.

BY SAMUEL H. SCUDDER.

Communicated December 10th, 1884.

THE recent discoveries of Mr. Charles Brongniart in the insect fauna of Commentry, France, have thrown a flood of light over the obscurities of the carboniferous epoch. Wings of a type which all writers had agreed were at any rate neuropterous, and referred to a special genus, Dictyoneura, are found by him attached to bodies which are clearly orthopterous, and of a specialized group, which one would scarcely have looked for in ancient times. Additional species now occur from time to time, and the number of forms referred to Dictyoneura is constantly growing. Others allied to them have been referred, and are still being referred, to other genera, and to still other divisions of Neuroptera.

Under these circumstances, and because a number of new American types need to be brought into their proper place, I have thought best to offer a brief synopsis of those carboniferous forms heretofore discovered, (with a few additional ones from this continent,) which may be referred to the ancient Phasmida.

Among them will be found nearly all the species heretofore referred to the Termitina from the European coal measures, for a careful study shows that the white ants were not at all represented in paleozoic times, so far as the forms yet discovered show. Most of those which have been considered Termitina belong rather here, (they have already in several instances been referred here,) while others belong to other groups of Neuroptera than Termitina.

A fuller memoir on this subject, with detailed descriptions and full illustrations, will be given at an early day.

The genera may be separated in the following manner:

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1. Wings moderately slender, scapular nervure branched 1. Wings very slender or pointed, scapular nervure simple . . . 5

2. Wings very large, scapular vein beginning to branch in the middle. of the basal half of the wing.

Titanophasma.

2. Wings generally much smaller than in the preceding genus, scapular vein first branching at, or beyond, or only a little before, the middle of the wing. (In some small species of Dictyoneura s. s. it branches unusually near the base.)

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3. Scapular and externomedian veins first dividing near together before the middle of the wing; branches of the scapular vein arising from a single principal branch. .

4 3. Scapular vein first dividing beyond the middle of the wing, and usually far from the first forking of the externomedian vein; branches of the scapular vein arising from the main stem

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Litoneura. Dictyoneura. Polioptenus.

5. Wings triangular, much broader next the base than beyond; the tip roundly pointed.

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. Breyeria. 5. Wings oblong-ovate, broadest in the middle, or as broad in the middle as next the base; the tip generally rounded, but sometimes pointed

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6 6. Fore wings four, or less than four, times as long as broad; branches of veins oblique, curving down to and striking obliquely the lower margin of the wing, of which margin those of the externomedian vein occupy at least one third; anal area extending nearly to the middle of the wing; no intercalary veins Goldenbergia. 6. Fore wings five or six times longer than broad; branches, either much curved, running at first longitudinally, and then becoming very oblique, striking the margin nearly at right angles, and with many intercalary veins; or more nearly resembling Goldenbergia, and without intercalaries; in both cases with rare dichotomosis Haplophlebium.

6. Fore wings four, or less than four, times as long as broad; branches of veins dichotomizing strongly, and running longitudinally, so that those of the exteruomedian vein occupy only a slight portion of the lower margin; no intercalary veins. Paolia.

TITANOPHASMA Brongniart.

This is the larger type of the two whose bodies were found by Brongniart, one measuring as much as a fourth of a metre in length. The resemblance in every essential feature of the neuration of the wing of Brongniart's type to the largest-sized wings heretofore re

ferred to Dictyoneura, shows that the latter certainly belong here. The species may be separated thus:

1. (Hind) wing at least fifteen centimetres long; the first offshoots of the scapular branch emitting nervules on the outer side only; extremities of nervules rather strongly arched.

T. Fayoli Brongn. Commentry, France. 1. (Hind) wing hardly more than twelve centimetres long; the first offshoot of the scapular branch emitting nervules on the inner side only; extremities of nervules rather gently arched . . 2 2. First offshoots of the scapular branch arising only a little beyond the middle of the wing, and some distance before the middle of the scapular branch; reticulation small and fine.

T. libelluloides (Dict. libelluloides Gold.). Gersweiler, Auerswald (Saarbruck basin).

2. First offshoot of the scapular branch arising far beyond the middle of the wing, at about the middle of the branch; reticulation moderately large and coarse. Length 7 mm.

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T. jucunda, n. sp.

Near Pittston, Penn. (R. D. Lacoe, No. 2027).

LITONEURA (λιτός, νευρά), n. gen.

Here are placed the simplest forms in all the group, in which the veins are also comparatively few, simple, and distant. Three species are known:

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1. Wings small; fore wing not more than two and a half times longer than broad

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1. Wings large; hind wing nearly four times as long as broad. L. laxa (Term. laxa Gold.). Dudweiler (Saarbruck basin). 2. Some of the veins below the externomedian forking beyond the middle of their course L. obsoleta (Dict. obsoleta Gold.). Altenwald (Saarbruck basin).

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2. None of these veins forking beyond the middle of their course. L. anthracophila (Dict. anthracophila Gold.). Gersweiler (Saarbruck basin).

DICTYONEURA Gold.

In restricting this generic term, which has been applied to nearly all the European species mentioned here, I have employed it for one of the groups which contains an original member of the division, as defined by Goldenberg, and have selected the one having the largest number of species, and in which the internomedian vein is simple.

The group originally contained three species, which are here divided among the three genera so far discussed. As restricted, the species are the following:

1. Wings exceeding seven centimetres in length; the scapular branch originating at about the middle of the wing. D. Schmitzii Gold. Altenwald (Saarbruck basin). 1. Wings not exceeding five centimetres in length; scapular branch originating much before the middle of the wing

. 2 2. Branches of scapular and externomedian veins very dissimilar; those of the latter much more numerous . . D. Humboldtiana Gold. Sulzbach (Saarbruck basin).

2. Branches of scapular and externomedian veins similar

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3. Main scapular branch first forking far beyond the middle of its D. sinuosa Kliv. (Saarbruck basin.)

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3. Main scapular branch first forking before the middle of its course. D. affinis (Termes affinis Gold.). Sulzbach (Saarbruck basin).

POLIOPTENUS (πολιός, πτηνός), n. gen.

A single species, Dict. elegans Gold., from Dudweiler, in the Saarbruck basin, is separated from the others to which it is allied, on account of its forked internomedian, which has here almost the importance of the externomedian. In other respects, it agrees in general features with Dictyoneura.

PROTOPHASMA Brongniart.

It was in founding this genus that Brongniart made known the relationship of the wings allied to Dictyoneura, heretofore considered neuropterous. The wing of Protophasma, as figured by Brongniart, however, differs plainly from any of the genera here distinguished, although it seems certain that his delineation of the neuration cannot be considered strictly accurate, as it is very anomalous, and probably distorted by its preservation. We have not attempted, therefore, to place it in our table, though the position of the genus is somewhere among those in which the scapular nervure is simple. A single species is known, Prot. Dumasi Brongn., Commentry, France.

BREYERIA De Borre.

Much discussion has arisen concerning the affinities of the single wing upon which this genus was founded, which will be found princi

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