reason to suspect that the Bhynchophora of this mountain-island are,
in proportion to its size, both numerous and eccentric.’
“ I have thought it worth while to allude to these casual observations
of my owii, because they have been so strictly and literally
verified. Not only have Microxylohius and Nitiowenus been augmented
by newly discovered exponents, but everything tends to
prove that they are immeasurably the most significant of the island
forms; indeed an undescribed and closely related genus has been
detected alongside the latter, as though still further to enhance the
local importance of that particular Anthribideous type. Scarcely
less characteristic, however, than even these three, are, perhaps, the
obscure Curculionideous groups Nesiotes and Trachyphlmosuma; and,
if indeed it be truly aboriginal (and there is no reason for suspecting
the contrary), that curious little blind Cossonid, the Pentart/rum
subctecum, may be added to the number, in which case the Bhynchophora
alone would monopolize no less than six of the most anomalous
endemic genera J Indeed the only other manifestly indigenous
forms which I should define as par excellence ‘ abnormal’ are
Haplothorax of the Carabidse, and perhaps Mellissius of the Lamel-
licorns, neither of which, however, are so eccentric in their structure
as the six Bhynchophorous ones to which I have just alluded.
“ Apart, however, from their singularity of type, it may be useful,
in order to illustrate the mere numerical preponderance of the
weevils (as regards both species and genus) in the St. Helena
catalogue, to distribute the fifty-nine members of the fauna (to
which I have already called attention) under the twelve great
sections into which the Coleoptera are usually supposed to arrange
themselves. I am well aware that the paucit}1- of the list itself, and
perhaps likewise the totally unexplored state of the pools and
streams, may be sufficient to account for many an apparent
anomaly—such as, fo"r instance, the complete absence of the water-
beetles and Brachelytra; but still, after making every allowance
for the manifest imperfection of the material, the broad fact does
undoubtedly remain that the researches of Messrs. Melliss, Bewicke,
and others (and that, too, whilst by no means neglecting the
minuter groups) have brought to light more representatives of the
Bhynchoqihora than of all the other departments combined. And
that this is truly the ca§e, a glance at the following table will
suffice to show:—
B h y n c h o p h o r a ................................. * • •
Cordylocerata (i.e. Lamellicorns, &c,) , . . 6
G e o d ep h ag a ..................................... , . , . 5
B r a c h e ly tr a ........................... 4
Heteromera . . . . . . . . 3
P h y to p h a g a .......................... , . . T , . o
Pseudotrimera . . . . . . . . . . 3
Philhydrida ................................ 2
Necrophaga 1
Priocerata ......................................1
Hydradephaga . 0
Eucerata ........................................... 0
“ If we exclude from consideration the thirty-six species (above
alluded to) which have unquestionably been brought into the Island
through the medium of commerce, and which enter into the fauna of
nearly every civilized country, I need scarcely add that the bt. Helena
list, as hitherto made known, possesses nothing whatever in common
with those of the three sub-African archipelagos which lie further to
the north—though the great development of the Curculionideous
sub-family Cossonides is a remarkable fact which is more or less
conspicuous throughout the whole of them.
Pam. Carabidce.
Haplothorax, Waterh.
*H . b u r c h e l l i i , Waterh.—This truly indigenous and noble
black carabid may be distinguished by its being the largest Beetle
that is found in St. Helena. I t is confined to the north-eastein
corner of the Island, at an altitude above the sea of 2000 feet. I t
appears to have been detected by the African traveller, Dr. Burcliell,
a good many years ago; it is now extremely scarce, being met
with occasionally only, after considerable hunting, under stones
on Dead wood or Flagstaff, and sometimes in the ploughed fields at
Longwood.
Calosoma, Weber.
*C. h a l i g e n a , Woll.—A large dull brassy or nearly black
Beetle, about an inch in len g th ; it is, with the other species, easily
distinguished from the Haplothorax by the presence of metallic spots