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shows no sign of weakening or of decrease in numbers. Of all the land animais, the insects are the true b[ue-blood aristocrats by length of pedigree. The first remains of insects known are found in the upper beds of the rocks laid down in the geological period of the earth's history known as the Carboniferous. Dur-

Fro. 5,t. A group of common Carboniferous plants reaching the sze and pro- portions of large trees. (From Chamberlin and Salisbury, drawn by Mildred 1Marvin from restorations of fossil specimens.) Courtesy of Henry Hoir & Co. Of the two large trees in the foreground, the one on the left is a Sigillaria, that on the right a Lepidodendron; of the two large central trees in the background the left 3 a Cordaite's, the right a tree fern; the rail stalks in the outermost circle are Calamites, plants related to our horsetail ferns ing Carboniferous rimes much of the land along the shores of inland seas or lakes was marshy and supported great forests from which our coal deposits have been formed. But the Carboniferous landscape would have had a strange and curious look to us, accustomed is we

1861

ROACHES