INTRODUCTION. 
Tuis Volume, one of five required for the enumeration of the Rhynchophora, was 
commenced by Dr. Sharp in 1889 and is now concluded by myself. ‘The study of the 
‘‘Otiorhynchine Alate”’ has unfortunately been delayed for many years, during 
the publication of Vol. IV. parts 4, 5, and 7, all of which are devoted to the 
Family Curculionide, The present Volume, IV. part 3, includes the Subfamilies 
Attelabine, Pterocoline, Allocorynine, Apionine, Thecesternine, and Otiorhynchinee. 
The Attelabine are represented by 104 (88 new), the Pterocoline by three (all new), 
the Allocorynine (a new subfamily) and Thecesternine each by one, the Apionine 
by 88 (84 new), and the Otiorhynchine by 419 (340 new) species respectively; the 
total number for the six subfamilies being 616 species, with 516 new, and forty new 
genera. Amongst the 419 Otiorhynchine, the apterous and winged forms are almost 
equal in number, there being a preponderance of apterous terrestrial species 
(Hupagoderes, Epicerus, Epagriopsis, &c.) in the arid portions of Mexico and the winged 
forms (Laophthalmus, &c.) becoming relatively more numerous in the forest regions 
southward. ‘Taking the Curculionide as a whole—the subfamilies Curculionine 
and Calandrine, in addition to those worked out in the present Volume,—the 
number of species enumerated altogether from Central America is as follows :— 
Vol. IV. part 3, 616; IV. part 4, 1365; 1V. part 5, 908; LV. part 7, 344: total 3233. 
The three other families of Rhynchophora—the Brenthide, Scolytide, and Anthri- 
bide,—dealt with in Vol. IV. part 6, number 615 species, thus bringing the total 
for the whole of the weevils up to 3848. ‘lhe Rbynchophora, therefore, as anticipated 
(though not to the extent roughly estimated by myself in the Introduction to 
Vol. IV. part 4 of this series), greatly outnumber the Phytophaga (2619, including 
the Hispide and Cassidide) within our limits. 
